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THE 

TRANSFORMATION 

By 
JOHN  HERMAN  WISHAR 

Photographic  Studies  by  X.  O.  Howe 


THE  REYNARD  PRESS: 

San  Francisco,  Cat. 

July,  1911 


[Copyright  applied  for,   1911,  by  John  H.  Wishar.] 


'/ 


To 
Mrs.  Hester  Fairchild 

of 

Oakland,  California 

One  of  the  Best  Beloved 

Christian  Science  Practitioners 

in  California 
This  Book  is  Dedicated. 


265904 


Collision  at  Sea. 


CHAPTER  I. 

RIES  from  forward  and  a  crashing,  grinding 
shock  which  made  the  big  steamship  quiver  from 
stem  to  stern,  and  threw  sleeping  passengers 
from  their  berths,  told  their  own  story  of  collision.  For 
a  few  moments  the  ships  clung  together,  locked  in  a 
deadly  grip.  The  masts  of  the  sailing  vessel,  which  had 
struck  the  liner  amidships,  fell  with  a  rending,  tearing 
crash  before  the  heavy  seas  tore  the  shattered  hulls 
apart  and  the  curtain  of  dense,  impenetrable  fog  closed 
over  the  scene,  hiding  one  section  of  the  tragedy  from 
the  other. 

A  stream  of  partly-clad  men,  women  and  children 
poured  from  the  salon;  the  companion-way  vomiting 
forth  a  shrieking,  terror-mad  throng.  Orders  shouted 
by  the  officers  were  drowned  in  the  frenzied  cries  of 
those  striving  to  reach  the  boats.  The  fear  of  death 
was  dominant  and  the  souls  of  men  reverted  to  the 
primal  instinct  of  the  preservation  of  life.  The  sailors 
deserted  their  posts  and  joined  the  frantic  rush  for  the 
boats  which  dangled  from  their  davits,  and  the  crack 
of  revolvers  in  the  hands  of  the  faithful  officers  as  they 
vainly  strove  to  stem  the  tide,  added  their  quota  to  the 
unholy  din. 

Bentley  leaned  on  the  rail  at  the  break  of  the  hurri- 
cane deck  in  the  dim  dawn,  watching  the  desperate 
struggle  for  life  with  a  speculative  air,  the  ghastly  faces 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


and  ghostly  light  rendering  it  more  terrible.  "How 
they  cling  to  their  lives!"  he  muttered.  "Yet  they've 
probably  nothing  in  particular  to  live  for;  but  at  the 
thought  of  death  and  the  unknown  they  turn  into  ma- 
niacs. I'll  bet  most  of  them  are  good  church  people,  too ! 
What  a  joke  life  is, — a  puff,  and  it  vanishes.  It's  fun- 
ny!" His  cynical  laugh  blended  with  the  wild  pande- 
monium from  the  deck  below  where  the  struggle  had 
centered. 

"Won't  you  help  me,  please?"  came  a  small  voice 
from  behind  him,  which  sounded  clear  and  sweet  de- 
spite a  slight  tremor  in  the  tone.  Bentley  turned  and 
gazed  wonderingly  at  the  little  girl  seated  on  the  sill 
of  a  stateroom  door,  trying  vainly  to  button  her  shoes. 
She  was  very  pale,  but  eyed  him  calmly.  She  showed 
no  emotion  other  than  a  slight  nervousness  at  her  in- 
ability to  negotiate  the  refractory  buttons,  at  a  time 
which  seemed  to  demand  haste.  In  an  instant  Bentley 
was  kneeling  beside  her,  and  the  buttons  were  soon  in 
their  places. 

"There  now,  that's  all  right,"  he  said  in  a  comforting 
way,  rising  and  eyeing  the  child;  "so  don't  be  fright- 
ened and  I'll  have  you  in  one  of  the  boats  in  a  minute." 

The  small  figure  straightened  self -assertively,  and  the 
big  blue  eyes  gazed  into  his  calmly,  but  she  did  not  an- 
swer. Bentley  noticed  that  the  child  was  hurriedly, 
but  completely  dressed,  and  had  a  satchel  on  her  arm. 
He  was  wondering  vaguely  what  mother  could  have 
deserted  her  little  one  in  this  hour  of  peril  and  im- 
pending death. 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


"It's  the  old  law  of  self-preservation,  an  atavistic 
tendency  in  humanity  that  manifests  itself  when  fac- 
ing the  inevitable,"  he  thought,  smiling  at  the  child 
who  was  still  regarding  him  with  the  calm  scrutiny 
which  characterized  her.  ''Keep  up  your  courage,  and 
I'll  soon  fix  things,"  he  told  her  in  a  reassuring  voice. 

'  *  I  am  not  afraid  now, ' '  she  replied,  her  voice  sound- 
ing unusually  sweet  in  contrast  with  the  din  below.  ' '  I 
know  that  Divine  Love  is  guarding  me  and  that  I  am 
safe.  But  I  am  sorry  for  the  poor  drowning  people  who 
don't  know  of  this  help,  and  who  don't  know  that  there 
is  no  death."  The  child  spoke  so  calmly,  despite  her 
pallor  and  slight  nervousness,  that  Bentley  gazed  at 
her  in  wonder. 

' '  Phew !  what  have  I  here  ? "  he  muttered.  ' '  No  death, 
eh?"  and  his  eyes  turned  to  the  tragic  scene  below. 
"You  may  be  right,  theoretically,"  he  told  her,  "but 
we  shall  both  probably  experience  all  the  unknown 
reality  very  shortly.  There  goes  the  last  boat.  Our 
chance  to  escape  is  gone." 

He  drew  the  little  girl  close  to  him  with  a  protecting 
air,  as  if  to  guard  her  from  the  dangers  that  thickened 
about  them,  and  led  her  to  the  break  of  the  hurricane 
deck.  Leaning  on  the  rail  they  gazed  down  at  the  ter- 
rible ruin  revealed  on  the  lower  deck,  which  was  torn 
and  shattered  by  the  bow  of  the  ship  which  had  caused 
the  wreck;  littered  with  articles  of  clothing,  things 
hastily  snatched  from  staterooms  by  their  frenzied  own- 
ers, and  dotted  here  and  there  with  the  bodies  of  those 
killed  in  the  fight  for  the  boats.  On  the  bow  two  half- 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


clad  Orientals,  steerage  passengers,  rushed  back  and 
forth,  and  then  in  a  frenzy  of  fear  leaped  overboard 
in  a  vain  effort  to  overtake  the  last  boat  which  was  rap- 
idly being  swallowed  up  in  the  pallid  fog.  The  noise 
stilled  to  a  few  shrill  cries,  coming  from  the  boats  or 
some  poor  wretch  clinging  to  a  bit  of  wreckage,  but 
these  finally  ceased.  The  silence  was  broken  only  by 
the  solemn  sound  of  the  water  as  it  poured  into  the 
shattered  hull  with  a  dull  booming  note,  like  a  ghostly 
requiem.  The  grey  fog  spread  a  soft  blanket  over  all, 
blotting  out  many  of  the  ghastly  details,  as  if  anxious 
to  assist  the  sea  in  obliterating  all  traces  of  the  tragedy. 
Bentley,  with  a  throb  of  pity,  turned  to  the  child,  but 
she  was  standing  with  eyes  closed  and  he  noticed  that 
her  lips  were  moving.  "  Praying,  evidently, "  he  thought. 
"Well,  she'd  better,  for  this  dirge-like  farce  will  soon 
be  over  and  the  waves  will  be  chanting  our  funeral 
knell.  What  a  joke  life  is!"  he  laughed  cynically, 
but  there  was  a  look  of  peace  on  the  little  girl's  face 
which  caused  a  sense  of  wonder  to  creep  into  the  man's 
hardened  soul.  He  was  brave  with  the  masterful  brav- 
ery of  the  strong,  and  smiled  with  the  resignation  of  the 
stoic.  He  cared  little  for  life  and  less  for  death;  he 
believed  in  nothing  save  that  the  grave  was  certain  and 
merely  a  fitting  climax  to  the  stale  comedy  called  Life. 
But  the  sweet  calm  that  rested  on  the  child's  face  was 
something  new  to  Bentley  and  puzzled  him.  His  brain 
was  strangely  active,  although  not  overwrought,  and 
keenly  alive  to  all  sensations.  So  this  was  the  end ;  his 
life's  race  was  run,  his  work  finished,  and  his  grave  was 

10 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


to  be  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea !  He  shrugged  his  shoul- 
ders and  acquiesced  in  this  fiat  of  inexorable  Fate.  He 
cared  little  one  way  or  the  other.  In  fact,  he  rather 
welcomed  it,  as  Death  might  furnish  a  new  sensation; 
something  out  of  the  ordinary,  or  else  oblivion.  He 
smiled  grimly  at  the  thought.  But  the  idea  that  the 
child  must  die  seemed  unjust.  To  cut  down  such  a 
pretty  bud  in  its  sweet  unfolding  impressed  him  as  un- 
fair, when  many  whose  lives  probably  were  worthless 
and  useless  had  escaped  in  the  boats.  The  heavy,  wal- 
lowing roll  of  the  shattered  hull  told  Bentley  that  the 
vessel  would  keep  afloat  but  a  short  time.  The  swish 
of  the  water  was  the  only  sound  that  broke  the  sombre 
silence ;  the  man  and  the  girl  were  the  only  living  crea- 
tures on  the  wreck. 

Bentley  gazed  around  helplessly.  The  fog  lifted 
slightly,  and  the  first  faint  streaks  of  dawn  trickled 
through  the  mist  in  a  mellow  glow.  Suddenly  he  spied 
a  small  patent  life-raft  lashed  on  the  top  of  the  after 
wheel-house  and  his  eyes  sparkled  with  hope.  "It's  all 
right,  kidlet,"  he  cried,  his  heavy  voice  booming  out 
through  the  silence;  "111  have  that  in  the  water  in  a 

jiffy." 

He  left  her  and  climbed  to  the  wheel-house.  It  was 
the  work  of  but  an  instant  to  cut  loose  the  raft  and 
slide  the  tin  cylinders  with  their  light  lattice  work 
covering  to  the  foot  of  one  of  the  davits  from  which 
the  falls  still  dangled;  make  a  sling  around  the  raft, 
hook  it  om,  and  tie  the  child  on  board. 

"I  knew  you  would  find  something,"  she  said  as 

11 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


Bentley  was  making  her  secure,  ''for  I  was  declaring 
the  Truth  for  us  both." 

You're  a  wonderful  little  girl.  Now  sit  here  while  I 
go  below  and  see  if  I  can  get  something  for  us  to  eat, 
for  we  may  be  on  the  raft  for  some  time. ' ' 

"You'll  find  everything  we  need,"  came  the  child's 
voice,  and  again  her  eyes  closed  and  her  lips  moved 
silently.  Bentley  paused  for  an  instant  to  gaze  at  the 
little  girl  in  a  puzzled  manner,  and  then  plunged  down 
the  half-lighted  companion-way,  now  desolate  and  dis- 
mal, recently  the  scene  of  the  mad  rush  for  safety. 
All  was  a  harrowing  picture  of  devastation.  Water 
swished  back  and  forth  with  every  roll  of  the  vessel, 
carrying  a  medley  of  boxes,  tables,  chairs  and  odds  and 
ends.  With  difficulty,  Bentley  made  his  way  to  the 
salon  galley  and  lost  no  time  in  seizing  and  filling  a 
hamper  with  canned  meats  and  crackers.  A  small  keg 
of  water  completed  his  load,  and  he  hastened  on  deck 
as  the  roll  of  the  doomed  ship  told  him  that  her  time 
was  short.  He  hastily  tied  the  food  on  the  raft, 
snatched  some  blankets  from  a  stateroom,  hoisted  the 
raft  over  the  side,  climbed  on  board  it  and  lowered 
away.  Watching  a  favorable  moment  when  the  ship 
rolled  to  starboard  and  a  big  sea  swept  upward,  he 
cut  the  tackle  and  the  raft  rose  and  fell  on  the  big 
combers.  With  the  oars  which  were  lashed  to  the  raft, 
Bentley  sculled  farther  from  the  sinking  liner.  "We'll 
have  to  get  a  good  distance  off,"  he  told  his  little  com- 
panion, "so  that  when  the  vessel  goes  down  we  won't 
get  caught  in  the  suction  and  follow  her." 

12 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


The  steamer  loomed  dark  and  menacing  through  the 
fog  in  the  dim  light  of  dawn.  Suddenly  her  stern  rose 
higher;  there  was  a  muffled  explosion  as  the  forward 
bulkheads  gave  way;  she  seemed  to  stagger;  gave  a 
desperate  roll  and  plunged  downward,  throwing  spray 
high  in  the  air  and  creating  a  huge  wave  which  spread 
out  in  everwidening  circles.  The  water  rushed  back 
in  a  small  maelstrom. 

''Goodbye  to  the  Merving  Hall!"  said  Bentley,  a  note 
of  awe  creeping  into  his  metallic  voice,  "but  cheer  up, 
little  one,  for  we  are  among  the  survivors." 

"I'm  sorry  about  Miss  Creyton,"  said  the  child,  wip- 
ing a  tear  from  her  eyes.  '  *  She  was  my  governess.  She 
didn't  understand  Truth,  but  she  was  God's  child  and  I 
loved  her.  She  got  awfully  excited  when  the  collision 
woke  us  up.  I  was  frightened  myself  at  first,  but  I  tried 
to  remember  and  explain  to  her  that  Infinite  Love  was 
all-powerful  and  that  we  were  safe ;  but  she  wrung  her 
hands  and  cried,  and  ran  from  the  cabin,  and  that  was 
the  last  I  saw  of  her.  Poor  Miss  Creyton!" 

Bentley  was  puzzled.  "What  do  you  mean,"  he 
questioned,  "by  'the  Truth'  and  'Infinite  Love/  and 
knowing  that  you  were  safe?  You  must  be  a  very  re- 
ligious little  lady." 

"Why,  I  mean  that  God,  Good,  is  all-powerful 
Don't  you  know  that  there  is  no  evil  in  reality?  In- 
finite Love  is  omnipotent,  omniscient  and  omnipresent; 
and  nothing  can  harm  those  who  understand  this  and 
claim  this  protection.  That  is  what  I  did,  after  I  got 
over  my  first  scare,  and  then  I  found  you,  and  you 
found  the  raft.  It  was  kept  for  us.  And  then  you 

13 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


found  the  food  and  water,  and  we  escaped  from  the 
ship  in  time.  Isn't  that  a  demonstration  of  the  pro- 
tection of  Love?" 

"Well,  of  all  little  preachers  ever  I  heard,  you're 
certainly  the  most  original  and  the  best,"  exclaimed 
Bentley  with  an  amused  but  puzzled  look.  "Do  you 
mean  to  tell  me  that  you  conquered  your  fear  even  be- 
fore you  knew  that  there  was  a  chance  of  being  saved?" 

* '  When  the  shock  threw  me  out  of  bed,  I  was  afraid, 
but  I  repeated  the  Scientific  Statement  of  Being  and  de- 
clared the  Truth;  and  was  not  much  afraid  afterward 
because  I  knew  that  Love  was  guarding  me,"  replied 
the  little  girl,  with  a  quaint  sincerity  and  maturity, 
combined  with  her  childishness,  that  deeply  touched 
Bentley. 

"What's  your  name,  child,  and  how  old  are  you?" 
he  asked. 

"My  name  is  Esther  Doure,  and  I  am  twelve  years 
old,"  she  answered. 

Bentley  started  at  the  name,  and  gazed  at  the  child 
with  a  renewed  interest  and  an  odd  expression. 

"You  don't  look  that  old.  You  are  small  for  your 

age.  Have  you  an  aunt  named ;  or,  what  is  your 

aunt's  name?"  he  asked. 

"My  auntie  is  Miss  Camille  Brontel,  and  next  to  my 
mama  and  papa  I  love  her  better  than  anyone  else  in 
the  world.  She  went  with  papa  and  mama  to  Hong 
Kong.  Do  you  know  her  ? ' ' 

"Yes.  Has  your  aunt  got  the  same  religion  that  you 
have?"  he  asked. 

"Oh  yes,  she's  a  Scientist,  and  so  is  mama.    That's 

14 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


the  reason  that  when  they  hear  of  the  wreck,  they  will 
know  that  I  am  protected, ' '  answered  the  child. 

' '  Scientist  ?  '  Will  know  you  are  protected  when  they 
hear  of  the  wreck!'  What  are  you  talking  about, 
child  ?" 

"I  mean  that  we  are  Christian  Scientists,  and  they 
know  that  I  will  be  able  to  demonstrate  my  safety.  You 
know  I  told  you  that  Divine  Love  was  guarding  us." 

The  man  gazed  wonderingly  at  the  small  face  peeping 
from  the  folds  of  the  blanket  which  he  had  wrapped 
about  her  to  keep  off  the  spray  and  the  wash  through 
the  slats  of  the  raft,  as  well  as  the  chilly  air. 

11  Religious  fanatic  she  may  be,  but  she's  an  original 
one,  and  has  shown  wonderful  nerve,"  thought  Bentley, 
"but  this  explains  Camille,  if  she  has  the  same  kind  of 
peculiar  belief." 

"By  the  way,"  he  asked  the  child,  "what  were  you 
doing  when  you  were  standing  on  deck  with  your  eyes 
closed  and  your  lips  moving?  Praying?" 

"I  was  claiming  the  help  of  Divine  Love.  You  see 
the  demonstration  was  made.  Don't  you  understand?" 

"Do  I  understand  how  my  eye  happened  to  light  on 
this  raft  and  how  it  had  been  overlooked  by  that 
frightened  crowd  of  people?  Why,  yes.  It  was  Luck, 
just  Luck.  And  it  was  the  same  way  when  I  went  after 
the  food.  I  was  lucky.  I  fail  to  see  any  Divine  Provi- 
dence in  that,"  and  Bentley  laughed  his  old  cynical 
laugh,  and  laughed  again  at  the  thought  that  he  of  all 
men  should  be  sitting  on  a  raft  in  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
discussing  religion  with  a  child.  He  turned  to  her  and 

15 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


paused  in  amazement,  the  question  he  was  about  to  ask 
losing  itself  in  his  wonder  at  the  sight,  for  she  was  care- 
fully combing  the  hair  of  a  rather  dilapidated  looking 
doll  which  she  had  taken  from  the  small  satchel.  Her 
face  was  pale,  but  peaceful.  She  smiled  at  him,  then 
clasping  the  doll  to  her  heart,  she  closed  her  eyes  and 
was  soon  asleep.  Bentley  watched  her  with  a  puzzled 
air.  "  There  are  more  things  in  Heaven  and  Earth, 
Horatio,  than  are  dreamt  of  in  your  philosophy,"  he 
murmured. 


16 


Doure's  Hong  Kong  Home. 

CHAPTER  II. 

EWSPAPERS  all  over  the  world  issued  start- 
ling extras  when  a  wireless  message  was  re- 
ceived from  the  liner  City  of  Paris  telling  of  the 
rescue  of  one  boatload  of  people,  apparently  the  sole 
survivors  of  the  Merving  Hall,  sunk  in  collision  with 
an  unknown  vessel,  which  had  also  foundered.  The  list 
of  saved  was  pitifully  small,  and  no  woman  or  child 
was  among  them.  Although  the  City  of  Paris  had 
cruised  for  a  day  in  the  vicinity  of  the  spot  where  the 
Merving  Hall  had  gone  down,  nothing  was  seen.  The 
ocean  had  obliterated  all  signs  of  the  tragedy,  so  the 
rescuing  ship  fled  away  for  San  Francisco  at  a  twenty- 
knot  gait  bearing  the  small  remnant  of  the  passengers 
and  crew  of  the  ill-fated  liner,  and  sending  by  wireless 
the  details  of  the  awful  story  as  told  by  the  survivors. 

Herbert  Doure,  with  trembling  hands,  held  the  paper 
to  his  wife,  where  in  big,  black  type  was  the  tidings  of 
the  loss  of  the  Merving  Hall.  They  were  in  their  Hong 
Kong  home,  where  Doure's  railroad  interests  had  called 
him,  and  the  breakfast  viands  still  covered  the  cheer- 
ful table. 

"My  God!  Annie,  read  that,"  he  exclaimed.  The 
Merving  Hall  sunk  in  a  collision  and  only  eighteen  men 
saved !  That  means  our  Esther  is  drowned.  Uncle  Ned 
cabled  when  he  waved  them  farewell.  Oh !  It  was  fare- 
well forever!"  and  Doure  groaned  in  grief. 

17 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


The  mother's  face  paled  to  sick  whiteness,  and  trem- 
blingly she  glanced  over  the  short  bulletins  in  sombre 
type  which  told  of  the  disaster  in  terse  sentences,  giv- 
ing the  pitifully  small  list  of  names  of  those  rescued. 
She  bowed  her  head  for  an  instant  in  seemingly  unutter- 
able woe,  but  the  next  moment  looked  up  at  her  hus- 
band. 

"Herbert,"  she  said,  "look  beyond  this  material  law. 
Esther  is  safe.  She  is  God's  child  and  no  harm  can  be- 
fall her.  She  will  be  returned  to  us  safely,  for  spiritual 
law  cannot  be  annulled." 

Doure  regarded  his  wife  in  amazement,  half  fearing 
that  the  shock  had  affected  her  mind,  but  the  next  mo- 
ment a  look  of  anger  swept  over  his  grief -stricken  face. 
"Oh,  damn,"  broke  from  his  lips,  "some  more  of  your 
religious  fads!  Christian  Science,  isn't  it?  Well,  if  you 
can  get  any  consolation  out  of  such  things  for  Heaven's 
sake  take  it  and  make  the  most  of  it.  Poor,  dear 
little  Esther ! ' '  and  the  lines  of  yearning  love  cut  deep 
furrows  in  the  father's  face. 

At  that  instant  the  door  was  hastily  opened  and  a 
slender,  graceful  young  lady  entered,  and  kneeling  by 
the  side  of  the  white-faced  mother,  placed  her  arms 
closely  about  her  and  said: 

"Darling  sister,  I  just  heard  the  terrible  news  from 
our  friends  and  rode  over  at  once.  I  wept  at  first,  then 
knew  it  was  mortal  fear,  and  rose  about  it.  Now  is  the 
time  for  our  Proof.  'Though  ten  thousand  fall,  yet  it 
shall  not  come  nigh  thee.'  We  have  got  to  demonstrate 
over  these  dangers  of  sense  and  KNOW  that  our  pre- 
cious Esther  is  safe." 

18 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


"His  promise  is  that  the  waters  shall  not  overflow 
nor  the  flames  kindle  upon  us,"  brokenly  murmured 
Mrs.  Doure,  while  the  younger  woman's  face  glowed 
with  the  radiant  reverence  of  perfect  understanding  of 
the  Power  and  Principle  of  Life. 

"You  two  would  drive  one  distracted  with  your 
senseless  protests  and  declarations  and  assurances  about 
some  unseen  protecting  power,"  and  Doure  walked  the 
floor  in  an  agony  of  despair.  "The  fact  remains,  de- 
spite all  your  incomprehensible  talk,  that  our  little  darl- 
ing has  met  a  frightful  death,  drowned  amid  the  un- 
told horrors  of  that  terrible  wreck."  With  a  stifled 
sob  he  sat  down,  crossing  his  arms  on  the  table  and 
buried  his  face  in  them. 

Mrs.  Doure  went  to  her  husband  and  tenderly  put  an 
arm  around  his  neck,  while  she  leaned  over,  patting 
his  head  and  softly  manifesting  her  love  and  sympathy 
in  this  their  hour  of  earthly  anguish. 

Camille,  the  beautiful  sister,  regarded  them  with  com- 
passionate affection,  and  then  spoke  as  though  inspired : 
"Herbert,  dear  brother,  listen  to  the  voice  of  Truth.  In 
this  seeming  darkness  and  error  turn  from  the  false  to 
the  true.  God  created  this  world  in  Love ;  wrath  and 
danger  are  not  of  his  creating  and  he  is  All." 

Doure  lifted  his  grief-stricken  face  and  gazed  at  his 
wife  and  then  at  her  sister.  Though  pale,  they  were 
showing  a  courage  and  faith  that  stilled  the  tempest  of 
his  emotion.  "Do  you  really  believe  that  some  miracle 
has  been  wrought  and  that  Esther  has  been  saved?"  he 
inquired,  his  voice  trembling  as  he  spoke,  his  mind  eager 

19 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


to  grasp  at  any  slight  shred  of  hope  that  his  child  had 
been  spared. 

* '  Dear, ' '  his  wife  gently  said,  '  *  we  are  demonstrating 
Christian  Science ;  proving  through  understanding  that 
the  spiritual  law  of  Love  has  power  over  material  evils. 
Young  as  Esther  is  she  has  a  clear  sense  of  God  as  Love 
and  the  only  Power,  so  when  the  awful  collision  came 
she  would  KNOW  that  Divine  Love  was  present  and 
that  it  would  open  the  way  for  her  preservation.  Little 
children  often  grasp  the  scientific  facts  of  being  and 
prove  Omnipotent  Truth  in  a  marvelous  manner.  The 
*  still  small  voice  that  yet  is  louder  than  a  roaring  lion' 
to  those  willing  to  listen  assures  me  that  Esther  has 
been  divinely  cared  for,  and  through  her  unclouded  un- 
derstanding that  'God  is  ever  present  help'  others  may 
also  have  been  preserved  from  peril." 

"Then,"  said  Doure,  "if  such  sublime  faith  has  any 
foundation  in  fact  and  it  proves  that  our  dear  little  one 
is  alive  and  will  be  superhumanly  brought  back  to  us, 
I  will  scon6  no  more,  but  will  devote  my  life  to  finding 
this  Science  of  Being,  as  you  call  it,  which  is  now  up- 
holding you  both,  for  I  know  your  hearts  must  be  torn 
with  anguish,  as  well  as  my  own." 

Seating  herself  by  her  husband's  side  and  motioning 
Camille  to  take  a  chair,  Mrs.  Doure  said  in  low,  reverent 
tones:  "Let  us  ask  for  help;  for  the  clearer  understand- 
ing that  'Divine  Love  always  has  met,  and  always  will 
meet  every  human  need. '  Mrs.  Eddy  says  to  enter  into 
the  heart  of  prayer,  the  door  of  the  erring  sense  must 
be  closed ;  lips  must  be  mute  and  materialism  silent,  that 

20 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


man  may  have  audience  with  Spirit,  the  Divine  Prin- 
ciple, which  destroys  all  error."  She  closed  her  eyes, 
and  remained  silent,  as  did  Camille. 

Doure  felt  an  unwonted  peace  and  confidence  as  he 
sat  in  the  midst  of  this  sacred,  secret  communion  or 
''treatment"  which  his  wife  and  her  sister  thus  entered 
upon.  Soon  his  confusion  was  stilled,  the  wild  pic- 
tures that  had  been  madly  tormenting  him  with  their 
horrors  vanished,  and  a  feeling  of  rest  and  strength 
gave  him  gentle  happiness.  After  about  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  of  this  stillness,  their  eyes  opened  and  his  wife 
solemnly  said:  "The  demonstration  is  made  and  we 
have  only  to  wait  for  its  manifestation." 

"How  can  you  make  such  a  statement?"  he  doubting- 
ly  inquired.  "Does  it  mean  that  you  actually  have 
some  proof  that  Esther  is  alive  and  cared  for?" 

His  wife  reached  over  and  lovingly  laid  her  hand  up- 
on his  and  replied:  "We  know  Truth  to  be  the  only 
power,  and  we  feel  that  Esther  claimed  that  protection, 
and  that  Love  is  guarding  her." 

"It  is  all  black  night  and  chaos  to  my  understand- 
ing," said  Herbert,  "but  in  some  way  you  inspire  me 
with  comfort  and  I  feel  less  dejected,  although  I  cannot 
understand  how  you  cherish  the  hope  that  Esther  was 
saved  when  the  dispatches  state  that  only  one  boat- 
load of  people  survived  and  that  there  was  not  a  woman 
or  child  among  them.  The  ship  went  down  so  rapidly 
that  probably  Esther  was  drowned  in  her  stateroom." 

"Listen,  Herbert,"  said  Camille,  sweetness  and  sym- 
pathy radiating  from  voice  and  glance.  "We  are  not 

21 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


trying  to  cherish  false  hopes;  we  are  fighting  dark 
visions  and  are  depending  on  the  promises  made  by 
Christ  that  in  times  of  trouble  we  should  call  on  him 
and  that  he  would  be  an  ever-living  shield  and  buckler, 
Esther,  although  only  a  child,  has  been  t right  the  true 
interpretation  of  Christ's  words,  and  she  understands 
how,  in  the  hour  of  danger,  to  claim  the  aid  and  protec- 
tion that  is  ever  present,  and  to  look  beyond  seeming  de- 
struction. Mrs.  Eddy  has  revealed  to  us  the  true  mean- 
ing of  Christ's  teachings  and  has  placed  within  our 
hands  the  means  of  overcoming  all  sin,  sorrow,  sickness 
and  unhappiness.  Our  duty  is  to  realize  the  right  and 
thus  overcome  the  claim  of  sorrow.  It  is  only  the  lack 
of  Spiritual  understanding  that  makes  this  vague  and 
difficult.  When  once  you  understand  the  Principle  of 
Life ;  when  you  learn  that  man  is  the  image  and  the 
likeness  of  God,  Good,  and  that  error  has  no  power 
when  Infinite  Love  is  called  on  for  aid,  then  you  will 
know  what  we  mean  when  we  say  that  Esther  is  safe  in 
this  Love,  and  will  be  returned  to  us  through  the  de- 
monstration of  Love  as  the  only  Power." 

Doure  endeavored  to  grasp  this  explanation  of  a 
Science  beyond  his  present  understanding,  reaching  out 
in  his  mental  darkness  for  any  ray  of  hope,  something 
upon  which  to  pin  a  shred  of  faith  that  his  idolized  child 
was  still  alive,  snatched  from  a  violent  death;  but  the 
keen  brain  of  the  business  man  was  untrained  in  mat- 
ters not  relating  to  material  affairs,  and  he  shook  his 
head  despondently. 

"I  fail  to  grasp  your  meaning,"  he  finally  said  as  he 

22 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


restlessly  paced  the  floor,  "although  there  may  be  some- 
thing in  your  faith  that  is  beyond  my  comprehension. 
The  idea  that  Esther  could  have  escaped  when  hundreds 
of  others  went  to  their  death  is  beyond  human  concep- 
tion. Besides,  the  steamer  which  rescued  the  survivors 
cruised  around  the  spot  for  a  day,  and  there  was  not 
even  a  bit  of  wreckage  to  show  where  the  collision  oc- 
curred. Do  not  forget  that  the  days  of  miracles  have 
passed,  if  they  ever  existed  outside  the  imagination  of 
a  few  fanatics. ' ' 

"One  minute,  dear  Herbert,"  answered  Camille,  her 
countenance  sublime  with  the  light  of  faith,  "do  not 
forget  that  if  it  were  not  for  Christian  Science  Annie 
here  would  not  be  alive  to-day.  You  know  that  both 
the  European  and  American  physicians  had  given  her 
up  and  that  she  was  sent  home  to  die,  when  Divine 
Love,  with  its  merciful  healing,  restored  her  to  health 
by  freeing  her  from  that  false  belief.  Through  her  un- 
derstanding I,  too,  was  lead  to  Truth." 

"Yes,  yes,"  answered  Doure  impatiently,  "I  know 
that  you  attribute  Annie's  recovery  to  Christian 
Science,  but  the  physicians  declared  that  it  was  the 
beneficial  effects  of  the  Roentgen  rays  making  them- 
selves felt  later  than  was  expected.  In  fact,  Dr.  Weid- 
muller  emphatically  stated  this  to  be  the  real  explana- 
tion of  her  remarkable  cure." 

"He  did  at  that  time,  but  how  long  since  have  you 
heard  from  Dr.  Weidmuller?"  asked  Camille. 

"I  do  not  remember  exactly,  but  it  must  be  some  four 
or  five  years." 

23 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


"Then  you  do  not  know  that  Dr.  Weidmuller  was 
himself  healed  by  Infinite  Mind,  and  that  he  abandoned 
his  materia  medica  and  is  now  a  Christian  Science  prac- 
titioner in  Berlin?" 

The  amazement  on  Doure's  face  brought  a  brighten- 
ing smile  to  the  lips  of  his  wife  and  her  sister. 

"Inconceivable,"  he  replied,  "I  beg  to  decidedly  dif- 
fer with  this  peculiar  statement,  and  deem  you  have 
been  wrongly  informed.  Dr.  Weidmuller  was  one  of 
the  foremost  surgeons  in  Germany.  He's  not  going  to 
abandon  such  professional  distinction  for  some  relig- 
ious fad.  The  man  is  too  famous,  too  brilliant,  too  in- 
telligent to  do  a  thing  like  that." 

"Nevertheless,  such  is  the  true  case.  Dr.  Weidmul- 
ler seemed  to  become  the  victim  of  the  claim  of  cancer, 
and  after  several  operations  resigned  himself  to  what 
he  deemed  inevitable  death.  He  knew  the  torturing 
progress  of  the  disease,  and  could  calculate  with  reason- 
able accuracy  how  long  a  term  he  had  to  live,  when 
it  was  determined  that  the  last  operation  was  a  failure. 
At  that  dark  hour  a  friend  brought  him  Science  and 
Health  with  Key  to  the  Scriptures  by  Mary  Baker  Ed- 
dy, assuring  him  that  the  study  of  its  truth  would  heal 
him.  Knowing  there  was  no  earthly  help,  he  was  re- 
ceptive to  the  Spiritual  thought  and  the  error  was  cast 
out.  For  years  he  had  striven  earnestly  and  conscien- 
tiously to  heal  the  sick  through  material  remedies,  but 
he  came  to  realize  that  he  had  been  combatting  error 
with  error,  ignorant  of  the  Truth  of  Life.  The  light 
of  Divine  Intelligence  came  to  him,  lying  there  on  his 

24 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


seeming  death-bed,  and  he  realized  that  matter  had  no 
life,  that  Mind  is  All,  and  that  mortal  belief  alone  occa- 
sions disease  and  death.  He  came  to  understand  that 
Divine  Mind  had  made  man  in  His  own  image,  and 
that  man  is  harmonious  and  eternal,  just  as  is  this  In- 
finite Power  which  created  him.  He  learned  that  this 
mortal  mind  which  claims  to  govern  every  organ  of  the 
mortal  body  is  a  myth  and  is  not  to  be  trusted,  and  that 
Immortal  Mind  saves  Mortal  Mind  from  its  delusions. 

"When  he  had  come  to  understand  these  Eternal 
Truths,  the  error  which  had  gripped  him  vanished, 
and  the  European  surgeons  marveled  at  the  cure.  Per- 
force they  attributed  it  to  the  last  operation,  but  Dr. 
Weidmuller,  the  most  noted  surgeon  of  them  all,  knew 
better.  The  result  was  that  he  abandoned  his  medical 
practice  and  devoted  himself  to  metaphysical  study. 
So,  if  a  man  such  as  he  can  investigate  the  Science  and 
gain  understanding,  there  is  no  reason  why  you  should 
not  at  least  study  it  a  little,  and  determine  for  your  own 
satisfaction  whether  it  is  founded  on  Truth  or  is  merely 
a  'religious  fad'  as  you  call  it." 

"To  say  the  least,  Weidmuller 's  case  astounds  me,— 
leads  me  into  different  lines  of  thought,"  answered 
Doure.  "As  to  reading  Science  and  Health,  well,  I 
have  tried  to  read  a  little  of  it,  but  I  can't  make  head 
nor  tail  out  of  it.  The  language  is  grand,  but  so  far 
as  a  principle  is  involved  it  seems  to  me  to  be  a  jumble 
of  meaningless,  impossible  theories.  But  what  has  it  all 
to  do  with  poor  little  Esther?" 

"It  has  this  to  do,  Herbert,"  answered  his  wife,  "it 

25 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


shows  that  the  Power  of  Love  can  accomplish  what  you 
call  a  miracle,  as  is  illustrated  in  the  case  of  Dr.  Weid- 
muller,  and  in  my  own  case,  and  in  thousands  of  others. 
Now,  if  these  miracles  or  divinely  natural  manifesta- 
tions of  Love  can  be  performed  on  land,  why  can  they 
not  be  made  manifest  at  sea  as  well?  God  is  every- 
where and  Divine  Good  is  protecting  our  little  girl.  If 
I  were  not  sure  of  this  truth  do  you  think  I  could  be 
sitting  here  calmly  discussing  this  seeming  evil?  I 
know  that  Esther  is  safe,  and  we  will  hold  and  cling  to 
the  right  thought  so  that  she  will  be  returned  to  us  as 
soon  as  Love  opens  the  way.  'Patience  must  have  her 
perfect  work'." 

"Look  here,  Annie/'  said  Doure,  "if  you  honestly  be- 
lieve there  is  a  chance  of  Esther  being  alive ;  of  having 
been  saved  on  some  plank  or  floating  bit  of  wreckage, 
why,  I'll  get  Phil  Worden's  big  steam  yacht  and  we'll 
cruise  off  to  the  vicinity  of  where  the  wreck  is  reported 
to  have  occurred.  The  details  of  latitude  and  longitude 
are  given  by  the  survivors.  Sometimes  a  woman's  in- 
tuition is  better  than  a  man's  reasoning.  It  gives  hope, 
at  least." 

"It  is  not  intuition,  Herbert,  it  is  knowledge  of  Di- 
vine Love.  Yes,  I  shall  be  glad  to  start,  and  I  feel  that 
Truth  will  lead  us  to  happiness  and  success  in  our  Mis- 
sion." 

"Very  well,  I  will  make  arrangements  at  once  as  I 
am  impatient  to  attempt  some  definite  act,  and  if  what 
you  believe  has  any  foundation  in  fact,  every  hour 
may  be  of  value." 

26 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


When  Doure,  in  nervous  haste,  had  left  the  house, 
first  tenderly  kissing  his  wife  and  bidding  her  be  of 
good  cheer,  and  the  sisters  were  left  alone,  Mrs.  Doure 
said:  "Let  us  go  to  my  room,  Camille,  as  we  must  be 
alone  to  work  against  this  seeming  trouble." 

Once  in  her  room,  Mrs.  Doure  picked  up  the  little 
leather-bound  volume  which  pointed  to  the  One 
Source,  and  she  read  out  loud  without  noticing  that 
her  sister  remained  standing  with  her  head  bent.  As 
Mrs.  Doure  looked  up  from  her  reading,  Camille,  with  a 
sob,  dropped  to  her  knees  and  buried  her  face  in  her 
sister's  lap  in  a  passion  of  grief. 

"Camille!  what  is  it?"  came  in  shocked  tones  from 
Mrs.  Doure.  "How  can  you  yield  to  the  darkness  of 
sense  after  the  explanation  of  Love  you  gave  to  Her- 
bert ?  Don 't  you  really  believe  that  Esther  is  safe  ? ' ' 

"I  have  no  fear  for  Esther,"  sobbed  the  younger 
woman,  "but,  Annie,  there  was  some  one  else  on  the 
Merving  Hall ;  some  one  who  did  not  know  that  he  was 
God 's  child ;  some  one  whose  generous  nature  and  bril- 
liant mind  had  been  warped  by  the  errors  in  which  he 
lived ;  some  one  who  was  secretly  dear  to  me,  and  it  is 
for  him  that  I  fear." 

"My  poor  darling!     It  was  -    —  ?" 

*  *  Tommy  Bentley, ' '  came  the  broken  whisper. 


Adrift  on  the  Raft. 


CHAPTER  III. 

HE  raft  rose  and  fell  on  the  long  Pacific  rollers 
which  swept  onward  with  an  easy  regularity. 
The  motion  was  gentle  and  soothing,  as  the 
frail  craft  would  sink  into  the  gully  between  two  of 
the  small  mountains  of  water,  only  to  be  lifted  the  next 
moment  and  poised  for  an  instant  on  the  crest  of  the 
succeeding  swell.  Bentley  lay  on  his  back  smoking, 
with  the  child  nestled  in  the  hollow  of  his  arm.  The 
deep  blue  vault  of  the  sky  was  studded  with  stars 
which  burned  with  a  brilliancy  found  nowhere  save  in 
the  tropics.  The  rim  of  the  great  moon  peeped  above 
the  horizon,  flooding  the  sea  with  a  mellow  light  as 
the  golden  disk  rose  higher  from  out  of  the  ocean's 
depths,  dimming  the  brilliancy  of  the  constellations. 
"What  a  joke  it  does  seem!"  murmured  Bentley, 
talking  to  himself  in  a  half  audible  tone.  "  What  would 
my  old  friends  say  if  they  could  see  me  now,  drifting 
around  on  a  raft  with  a  few  days  food,  a  keg  of  water, 
and  a  little  child.  What  a  story  this  would  make! 
Some  of  those  boats  are  sure  to  be  picked  up.  I  won- 
der what  kind  of  a  yarn  they'll  tell.  It  was  the  wild 
scramble  which  caused  the  loss  of  life;  the  exercise 
of  coolness  and  judgment  would  have  saved  probably 
most  of  those  on  board.  Human  nature  is  indeed 
strange." 

28 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


He  paused  in  his  soliloquy  as  a  pair  of  little  arms 
slipped  around  his  neck,  and  the  golden  head  cuddled 
closer.  She  was  sleeping  peacefully,  a  smile  lighting 
up  the  childish  features.  Something  in  the  confiding, 
unconsciously  loving  action  touched  a  chord  in  the  man's 
nature  that  had  not  vibrated  since  his  own  childhood, 
and  the  cynical  look  softened.  He  was  experiencing  a 
new  emotion.  Some  remnant  of  his  earlier  faith  in 
mankind  stirred  within  him,  and  he  vaguely  wondered 
at  the  change.  Bentley  was  old  with  the  weight  of 
knowledge  of  the  world,  although  still  in  his  prime. 
Life  for  him  had  been  a  battle  ground  on  which  the 
strong  lived  and  the  weak  fell.  There  was  no  quarter 
asked  nor  given.  He  was  equipped  with  a  cultured 
mind  and  no  conscience.  He  was  satirical,  brilliant  and 
relentless,  believing  in  nothing  save  that  death  was  cer- 
tain and  that  oblivion  was  the  end  of  all.  His  nature 
was  summed  up  by  himself  in  the  single  phrase,  "What 
a  joke  life  is!" 

During  his  many  years  of  newspaper  work,  Bentley 
had  seen  life  pass  before  him  like  a  great  kaleidoscope, 
and  had  laughed  at  it  all ;  laughed  his  cynical  laugh  and 
had  gone  on  his  strange,  careless  way.  The  reports  of 
crime,  scandals,  tragedies,  births,  deaths  and  marriages, 
together  with  the  other  details  of  the  world's  happen- 
ings which  nightly  passed  through  his  hands  when  in 
the  office  of  the  great  metropolitan  newspaper,  caused 
him  much  silent  mirth;  sometimes  so  humorous  would 
the  inferior  standards  of  human  nature  seem  to  him  that 
he  would  lay  back  in  his  chair  and  chuckle  aloud  to  re- 


29 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


lieve  his  profund  disgust.     It  was  all  a  joke,  and  one 
of  poor  calibre. 

As  the  years  passed  his  nature  hardened.  All  hu- 
manity appeared  the  same  to  him.  The  tales  of  wrong- 
doing, many  involving  the  highest  names,  and  many 
which  never  saw  light  in  print  through  moneyed  or  in- 
fluential suppression,  had  almost  ceased  to  even  amuse 
him.  It  was  merely  part  of  life  as  he  knew  it;  it  was 
what  he  expected,  and  he  ceased  to  look  for  anything 
higher.  It  was  only  after  he  met  Camille  Brontel  that 
some  glimmer  of  another  side  of  life  made  itself  felt. 
She  was  beautiful  and  appealed  to  his  sense  of  the  ar- 
tistic; and  she  was  bright,  which  pleased  him,  as  his 
keen  mind  liked  a  worthy  and  congenial  antagonist  in 
argument,  or  an  intelligent  listener.  Although  he  was 
a  polished  man  of  the  world,  something  of  his  strange 
views  of  life  unconsciously  communicated  themselves  to 
the  girl  and  her  pure  nature  recoiled  from  the  sheer 
materiality  of  the  man's  though.  When  she  refused  his 
offer  of  marriage,  Bentley  philosophically  shrugged  his 
shoulders,  concealing  his  heart-ache,  and  returned  to  his 
Bohemian  friends ;  drinking  hard,  yet  always  retaining 
his  brilliant  faculties  and  laughing  cynically  when  the 
others  yielded  to  the  insidious  spell  of  the  alcohol;  en- 
tering into  the  fervid  recreation  of  Bohemia  where  he 
was  one  of  the  gay  moving  spirits,  where  his  reckless- 
ness, cynicism  and  good-fellowship  had  caused  the  mem- 
bers of  this  charmed  circle  to  both  love  and  fear  him. 
Among  the  wildest  he  was  a  leader;  and  no  revel  was 


30 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


complete  without  Bentley's  cynical  smile  and  caustic 
tongue. 

But  Bentley  was  lonesome — unsatisfied.  Even  at  the 
height  of  some  mad  revel,  he  would  pause  with  glass 
and  cigarette  poised,  and  pictures  of  an  infinitely  differ- 
ent life  would  form  before  his  mental  eye.  He  would 
see  a  home,  with  a  sweet  wife  and  loving  children  gath- 
ered before  the  bright  grate  fire.  The  picture  would 
grow  in  detail  and  the  hardness  and  the  bitterness  of 
life  would  fade  away,  but  the  noise  of  the  revel  would 
bring  him  back  from  those  sweet  dreams  to  the  present, 
and  he  would  seek  to  drown  the  ideal  pictures  in  the 
mockery  of  worldly  joy.  It  was  at  such  times  that 
Bentley  was  dangerous  in  his  mood.  A  lust  for  ex- 
citement, a  wild  desire  to  wreak  vengeance  on  the  grin- 
ning men  and  women  who  surrounded  him  with  their 
bestial  influence,  was  concealed  under  his  mask-like 
face  and  sardonic  glance.  Only  an  additional  twist 
to  the  cynical  smile  and  a  keener  edge  to  his  satire  in- 
dicated the  volcano  of  distaste  raging  within  his  bitter 
consciousness. 

It  was  only  this  mad  play  of  pretense  and  his  work 
that  kept  him  from  ending  the  mortal  farce  by  seeking 
a  suicide's  grave.  Bentley  had  pride  in  his  work  on 
the  big  newspaper.  In  a  little  world  of  his  own  he 
wrote  pretty  stories  and  idyls  and  romances  that  were 
never  profaned  by  any  eye  save  his  own.  Had  any  of 
the  Bohemian  set  seen  one  of  the  dainty  webs  of  fancy 
spun  in  his  solitary  hour,  they  would  have  doubted 
that  Bentley,  the  cynic,  could  have  been  capable  of  the 

31 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


finer,  higher  thoughts  expressed.  It  was  part  of  Bent- 
ley's  joke  that  such  should  be  the  estimation  of  his  boon 
companions,  for  in  his  heart  he  despised  them  all  for 
their  lack  of  moral  principle,  and  secretly  laughed  at 
them  while  ashamed  of  his  own  downward  tendencies. 
It  was  only  while  in  the  quiet  of  his  own  rooms,  which 
were  beautiful  with  gems  of  art  and  a  rare  library, 
showing  the  innate  culture  of  the  man,  after  his  ab- 
sorbing work  was  over,  that  the  feeling  of  utter  lonli- 
ness  would  steal  over  Bentley  and  drive  him  to  pace  the 
floor  for  hours,  as  he  wondered  what  this  accusing,  re- 
proachful thought  could  be  that  thus  strove  with  him 
and  would  not  be  silenced.  He  knew  where  his  usual 
companions  awaited  him,  but  he  dimly  realized  that  it 
was  not  the  companionship  that  his  starving  soul 
sought.  And  so  he  lived  his  life,  laughing  outwardly, 
yet  concealing  a  bitter,  suffering  heart. 

When  his  paper  selected  him  for  its  representative 
in  the  Orient,  Bentley  packed  his  trunk  with  an  indif- 
ferent heart.  He  cared  not  that  he  was  the  envy  of 
many  other  keen  and  brilliant  writers.  He  had  been  in 
the  Orient  before  and  knew  the  conditions  of  life  there 
as  he  knew  the  conditions  of  life  in  America,  from  New 
York  to  San  Francisco — it  was  all  the  same  to  him,  like 
a  twice-told  tale.  So  he  had  taken  passage  on  the  Merv- 
ing  Hall  with  an  indifferent  heart.  He  had  been  stand- 
ing on  the  deck  in  the  early  morning  when  the  collision 
occurred,  but  had  experienced  no  thrill.  With  his  usual 
carelessness  he  had  shrugged  his  shoulders  at  the 
thought  that  death  was  approaching,  and  had  watched 

32 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


the  struggling  mass,  terrifically  fighting  for  earthly  cal- 
vation,  with  a  calm  stoicism,  more  as  though  he  was  a 
spectator  at  a  drama.  At  that  supreme  hour  his  good 
angel  brought  him  in  contact  with  the  little  girl,  whose 
odd  philosophy  had  awakened  emotions  in  him  which 
he  thought  were  long  since  dead,  and  over  which  he  was 
now  pondering  as  he  gazed  at  the  glory  of  the  solemn 
night. 

''And  so  I  have  Camille  Brontel's  niece  with  me!" 
he  mused.  "Verily,  wonders  are  past  finding  out. 
What  would  she  say  if  she  could  see  us  drifting  alone 
upon  this  tropical  sea — perhaps  the  sole  survivors  of  all 
those  on  board  the  ill-fated  steamer;  for  it's  possible 
that  none  of  those  overcrowded  boats  will  be  picked  up. 
Perhaps  Camille  would  feel  that  destiny  was  cruel 
to  place  this  innocent  little  child  in  my  care.  But 
no,  I  wrong  her.  She  would  know  that  purity  has 
power  to  soften  even  the  hardest  natures.  I  have  a 
softer  heart  than  the  average  so-called  good  Christian, 
— on  that  I'll  gamble.  Christians?  bah!  They're  all 
alike — all  hypocrites,  with  their  creeds  and  doctrines 
and  sects  and  intolerance.  But  I'll  get  this  child  ashore 
and  back  to  her  parents  if  it  is  possible ! ' ' 

Bentley  gently  soothed  the  golden  curls  from  off  the 
placid  brow,  and  acting  on  an  impulse  that  was  strange 
to  him,  bent  and  kissed  the  soft  little  cheek  and  drew  a 
fold  of  the  blanket  more  closely  over  her  head  to  keep 
off  the  fresh  night  air,  that  seemed  to  be  whispering 
messages  of  hope  and  peace. 


33 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


Bentley  then  became  practical,  trying  to  calculate 
their  chances  of  rescue,  but  after  pondering  over 
the  problem  he  was  forced  to  reluctantly  admit  that  the 
possibilities  of  their  being  discovered  and  saved  were 
dishearteningly  remote.  He  judged  that  the  Ladrone 
Islands  lay  somewhere  to  the  south,  but  this  was  an  al- 
most impossible  journey  on  their  little  raft ;  and  he  real- 
ized that  their  chances  of  being  picked  up  were  ex- 
tremely slight  at  best.  Their  lives  seemed  to  hang  by 
a  slender  thread.  "And  yet,"  thought  Bentley,  "luck 
has  been  with  us  so  far,  so  why  should  it  not  continue?" 
He  glanced  again  at  the  child  and  saw  that  the  big 
blue  eyes  were  open,  still  drowsy  with  soft  sleep,  yet 
regarding  him  with  an  odd,  pensive  expression. 

"What's  the  matter,  kidlet?  Did  I  wake  you  up 
talking  to  myself?  Well,  don't  let  that  bother  you. 
Just  tuck  your  head  back  under  the  covers  and  go  to 
sleep  again  like  the  good  little  girl  that  you  are." 

"I'm  not  sleepy  now,  thank  you,"  she  answered. 
' '  O-o-o,  how  bright  the  moon  is !  I  never  saw  it  so  be- 
fore. Why,  it  gives  almost  enough  light  to  read  by. 
You  look  sad.  Shall  I  read  to  you  a  little ?  That's  what 
mama  liked  me  to  do  when  she  felt  some  error  trying 
to  fasten  on  her. ' ' 

"Of  course  I'd  like  to  have  you  read  to  me,  but,  un- 
fortunately, the  library  of  this  good  ship  consists  of 
my  pocket  note-book,  and  there  is  nothing  in  that  of 
interest  to  you." 

"Oh!"  cried  the  child,  "I  have  my  Bible  tnd  Science 
and  Health.  I  wouldn't  have  left  them  for  anything." 

34 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


From  the  satchel  which  contained  the  doll,  Esther 
drew  out  two  books,  small  leather-covered  volumes. 

"So,  Christian  Scientists  also  read  the  Bible,  do 
they?"  Bentley  asked.  "I  thought  this  woman,  Mrs. 
Eddy,  had  written  a  Bible  for  them." 

"Science  and  Health  is  only  a  spiritual  explanation 
of  the  Bible,"  gravely  responded  the  child.  "The  Bible 
is  what  we  always  read,  but  there  are  lots  of  passages 
in  the  Bible  that  are  awfully  hard  to  understand  unless 
you  have  a  guide,  and  this  is  what  Science  and  Health 
is.  My  mama  says  Mrs.  Eddy  was  selected  by  God  to 
be  a  prophet;  that  is,  a  channel  through  which  Divine 
Love  could  speak.  We  learn  in  Sunday  School  that 
Jesus'  mission  was  to  show  that  Harmony  is  God's  law, 
and  that  inharmony  is  error,  and  all  sickness,  unhappi- 
ness  and  death  are  errors.  But  you  know  that  the  les- 
sons taught  by  Jesus  were  lost  for  ever  so  many  hun- 
dreds of  years,  or,  until  Mrs.  Eddy  rediscovered  their 
real  meaning,  so  we  read  the  Bible  and  Science  and 
Health  together." 

"And  do  you  really  believe  that  your  religion  can 
help  us  way  out  here  on  the  ocean  ? ' ' 

"Of  course.  God  is  everywhere,  and  no  harm  can 
befall  us.  Isn't  it  lovely  to  feel  we  are  cared  for?" 

"But,  Esther,  how  do  I  know  that  all  this  is  the 
truth  ?  It  is  easy  enough  to  say  that  God  is  everywhere, 
but  the  fact  remains  that  we  will  soon  be  very  hungry, 
and  how  will  all  this  feed  us  or  get  us  off  this  raft?" 

"You  know  Christian  Science  by  its  demonstrations 
and  they  are  always  good.  Weren't  we  saved  from  the 


35 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


sinking  ship  by  Love?  And  we  will  be  saved  from  this 
raft.  God  is  here  with  us.  I  used  to  hear  mama  say 
that  harmony  is  Principle,  and  it  isn't  Principle  or 
Harmony  to  be  where  one  is  uncomfortable  or  unhappy, 
or  lonely  or  away  from  our  friends;  therefore,  Truth 
will  place  us  elsewhere,  and  will  give  us  all  we  need. 
You  know  that  when  the  ship  was  wrecked  and  my 
governess  left  me  I  had  to  handle  the  thought  of  fear. 
I  had  to  realize  that  God,  Good,  was  taking  care  of  me 
and  was  protecting  me,  and  that  no  harm  could  befall 
me,  and  then  I  got  dressed,  took  my  satchel  and  went 
out  and  saw  you,  and  you  buttoned  my  shoes  and  were 
just  as  loving  to  me  as  though  you  were  my  papa." 

Bentley  was  silent  for  a  few  moments,  eyeing  the 
child  with  a  puzzled  and  speculative  air. 

"I  gather,  Esther,  from  what  you  say  that  you 
don't  believe  people  should  be  poor  or  unhappy;  am  I 
right?" 

"There  is  no  truth  in  want,"  she  replied;  "Divine 
Mind  is  the  source  of  all  supply." 

"And  do  you  think  that  all  the  poverty  and  suffer- 
ing in  the  big  cities  can  be  alleviated  by  the  'One 
Source,'  as  you  call  it?" 

"There  is  no  poverty  or  suffering  in  reality,  for  In- 
finite Mind  is  plenty,"  answered  Esther. 

"No  poverty  or  suffering!  Well,  of  course  you  are 
too  young  to  understand,  but,  child,  there  is  such  misery 
in  every  big  city  that  even  those  accustomed  to  see  it 
daily  and  hear  the  pitiful  tales  will  occasionally  shud- 
der at  the  spectacle." 

36 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 

"It  is  only  seeming  want;  God's  child  cannot  want 
for  anything  that  is  needed. " 

"And  does  this  theory  of  yours  apply  likewise  to  sick- 
ness?77 

"Why  certainly,  because  people  couldn't  really  be 
happy  if  they  were  sick,  and  God  could  not  be  very 
good  if  he  would  send  sickness,  like  some  people  be- 
lieve. But  these  things  are  only  errors,  and  when  you 
learn  how  to  demonstrate  over  them,  why,  they  just  dis- 
disappear,  and  you're  happy  all  the  time."  She  smiled 
at  him,  watching  him  in  her  quaint,  childish  manner, 
as  if  half  expecting  him  to  agree  instantly  with  what 
to  her  was  such  a  self-evident  proposition.  Bentley 
shook  his  head  doubtingly,  but  he  was  strangely  thrilled 
by  the  child's  melodious  voice,  and  he  marveled  at  her 
language  and  the  mature  thought  exhibited. 

"How  did  you  learn  all  this  at  your  age?"  he  ques- 
tioned. 

1 1  We  must  attend  Sunday  School  until  we  are  twenty- 
one  years  old,  and  we  study  Science  and  Health  with  the 
Bible.  The  lessons  are  all  arranged  for  us.  Then  we 
learn  to  use  this  Intelligence  and  Love  in  our  daily 
lives." 

Esther  lay  back  and  gazed  at  the  golden  splendor  of 
the  moon,  and  Bentley  unconsciously  bowed  his  head 
as  he  heard  her  murmur : 

"Divine  Love,  comfort  mama  and  papa." 


Dr.  Wellingford's  Aid. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

RS.  DOURE  and  her  sister  sat  in  the  pretty  for- 
eign-looking parlor  of  their  Hong  Kong  home, 
reclining  in  the  rich,  inlaid  ebony  chairs  for 
which  the  Orient  is  noted.  Specimens  of  the  wonderful 
Chinese  embroidery  and  tapestry  covered  the  walls,  to- 
gether with  the  quaint  specimens  of  Oriental  art  with  its 
odd  lack  of  perspective.  In  sharp  contrast  was  a  large 
picture,  "Truth's  Victory  Over  Error,"  adorning  one 
side  of  the  room,  and  the  eyes  of  the  ladies  rested  upon 
it. 

Since  the  "passing"  of  their  parents  Camille  had 
made  her  home  with  Mrs.  Doure,  and  they  were  most 
devoted,  while  Herbert  Doure  regarded  the  young 
woman  with  the  tenderness  of  a  brother  for  a  dear  sis- 
ter. 

When  the  syndicate  was  formed  to  build  the  rail- 
way in  China,  Doure  became  a  heavy  stockholder  and 
was  commissioned  to  start  for  the  Orient  and  take 
charge  of  the  negotiations  for  the  necessary  concessions 
from  the  Imperial  government.  They  both  knew  it 
would  necessitate  a  lengthy  stay  in  the  Orient,  and 
Camille  herself  was  wrestling  with  a  human  problem. 
She  loved  Thomas  Bentley — loved  the  winning,  fascin- 
ating, brilliant  man  of  the  world ;  but  his  strange  views 
of  life  repelled  her,  and  she  would  not  ally  herself  to 


38 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


him  by  marriage  while  there  was  so  vast  a  gulf  between 
their  souls.  Secretly  she  had  hoped  that  some  unfore- 
seen chance  would  bring  about  the  transformation  in 
his  nature  that  she  longed  for,  but  until  that  time  ar- 
rived life  together  would  be  impossible.  He  had  plead- 
ed with  her,  but  she  had  remained  firm,  and  when  her 
sister  and  brother-in-law  left  for  China  she  accompanied 
them,  but  with  an  undercurrent  of  sadness  running 
through  the  melody  of  her  life.  It  had  been  decided 
to  leave  Esther  with  Mrs.  Doure's  uncle  and  aunt  in 
their  pleasant  Oakland  home  until  they  could  become 
settled  in  their  new  quarters  in  the  Chinese  city.  Six 
months  had  passed  and  according  to  instructions  from 
Mr.  Doure,  Uncle  Ned  had  placed  Esther  and  her  gov- 
erness on  board  the  Merving  Hall  and  now  the  ill-fated 
steamer,  with  its  throng  of  tourists,  and  scores  of  re- 
turning Chinese,  was  lost,  and  the  world  was  shocked  at 
the  tragedy. 

It  was  now  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day 
since  the  dreadful  tidings  had  been  received.  Friendly 
hearts,  of  all  nationalities  then  dwelling  in  Hong  Kong, 
had  been  in  and  out  of  the  bereaved  home  with  gentle 
sympathy  and  offers  of  kindness;  for  the  brotherhood 
of  man  is  manifest  when  sorrow  touches  any  of  the 
great  human  family.  Mrs.  Doure  and  Canaille  were  both 
pale  and  worn,  but  were  upheld  by  Ever-present  Love. 
Now,  just  before  the  dinner  hour,  they  were  awaiting 
He/bert's  return.  Mrs.  Doure  was  reading  from 
Science  and  Health. 

"Camille,"  she  said,  "what  more  of  comfort  do  you 

39 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


want  than  the  first  line  of  the  preface,  'To  those  lean- 
ing on  the  sustaining  Infinite,  to-day  is  big  with  bless- 
ing'?" 

She  closed  her  eyes  in  the  communion  that  gives  rest 
to  all.  Suddenly  she  arose,  saying: 

11  Herbert  is  coming;  I  hear  his  step,"  and  went  to 
meet  him. 

Camille,  with  a  look  of  peace  supplanting  the  one  of 
worry,  arose  to  welcome  the  good  husband  and  brother. 
Herbert  fondly  kissed  his  wife  and  looked  at  Camille 
with  brotherly  affection. 

''I  have  no  news  for  you,"  he  said,  "no  further  ac- 
counts ;  just  the  reiterated  bulletins  that  only  one  boat- 
load of  men  was  picked  up.  Now,  how  do  you  stand 
regarding  your  faith  in  Christian  Science's  protection 
and  salvation?" 

"The  proof  will  come,"  replied  Mrs.  Doure,  "I  feel 
certain  that  Esther  is  alive.  But  come  and  rest.  You 
look  worn  out.  Dinner  will  be  ready  soon." 

"Lie  down  here  on  this  lounge,  brother  Herbert," 
said  Camille,  "I  am  going  to  my  room  for  a  little 
study." 

As  Camille  went  out  Herbert  sat  down  wearily,  re- 
marking : 

"Yes,  Annie  dear,  I  feel  fagged  out,  mentally  and 
physically.  Calamities  never  seem  to  come  singly,  but 
in  droves.  There  is  a  hitch  in  the  negotiations  over  the 
contract  for  the  Hangkow  road,  and  the  government 
may  refuse  to  sign  the  agreement.  This  will  block  the 
operations  for  the  company  and  disappoint  me  of  an 

40 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


amount  close  to  half  a  million  dollars;  then,  with,  the 
failure  of  the  Berlin  deal,  in  which  I  was  induced  to 
invest,  I'm  practically  driven  to  the  wall.  It  is  a  dis- 
couraging outlook."  He  smoked  disconsolately,  then 
continued : 

"And  to  add  the  full  quota  of  misery,  my  neuralgia 
is  coming  back  with  renewed  severity;  but  I  would 
care  little  about  all  these  trials  if  we  only  had  Esther, 
or  confirmation  that  she  is  saved." 

His  wife  seated  herself  beside  him,  and  smothered  his 
hair  with  a  caressing  touch. 

"Do  not  worry,  Herbert,"  she  said.  "The  darkest 
night  has  a  golden  dawn,  and  I  feel  certain  that  the 
right  will  prevail  and  all  these  difficulties  be  smoothed 
away.  Those  who  claim  the  help  of  Omnipotent  Love 
cannot  suffer  or  want  for  anything;  but  we  must  do 
our  part  and  claim  the  right.  If  it  is  best  that  the 
government  accept  the  contract,  you  will  surely  be 
notified  that  the  officials  have  reconsidered  the  matter 
and  have  agreed  to  your  terms.  None  can  stay  Om- 
nipotent Truth." 

"How  you  talk,  Annie — just  like  a  woman!"  Her- 
bert irritably  replied.  "Of  course  it  is  best  for  the 
government  to  accept  this  contract.  The  road  is  really 
a  necessity.  It  means  the  development  of  a  great  sec- 
tion of  rich  territory,  and  the  modernizing  of  a  dis- 
trict in  which  the  customs  of  a  thousand  years  ago  are 
still  in  vogue.  The  line  will  be  of  untold  value  to  the 
government  if  it  is  built ;  and  if  not,  it  will  mean  prac- 
tically bankruptcy  for  me,  as  I  have  risked  nearly  all 

41 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


our  means  in  this  venture,  because  I  realized  the  possi- 
bilities of  the  road  and  was  assured  that  there  would 
be  no  hitch  in  the  negotiations.  The  trouble  is  that 
the  officials  over  here  are  skeptical  and  jealous  of  Amer- 
ican advancement,  and  I  suppose  that  I  may  have  to 
resort  to  the  usual  methods  to  carry  the  matter  through 
the  foreign  office,  if  it  isn't  too  late  even  now  to  manipu- 
late the  affair.  Even  so,  it  may  eat  up  half  the  profits 
which  I  had  counted  on." 

"What  do  you  mean,  Herbert — bribery?"  asked  his 
wife  in  a  shocked  tone. 

"Well,  it  is  not  customary  to  use  such  a  harsh  term. 
The  officials  merely  demand  an  enormous  fee,  and  trou- 
blesome restrictions  for  their  influential  services,  and  if 
this  is  not  forthcoming  we  get  no  contract.  That  is  the 
provoking  situation  in  a  nutshell.  Heretofore  I  have 
always  avoided  doubtful  business  methods,  but  I  sup- 
pose I  shall  have  to  resort  to  intrigue,  misrepresenta- 
tion, and  graft  of  every  kind  to  secure  consent  from  the 
imperial  government.  I  must  do  it  in  self-protection. 
Otherwise,  I  will  go  to  the  wall,  and  'charity  begins  at 
home.'  The  world  has  reached  a  stage  where  one  has 
to  lower  his  standard  of  honor  in  order  to  succeed  in 
any  business  venture." 

"Oh,  Herbert,  don't  say  that,"  rejoined  Mrs.  Doure, 
"for  it  is  not  true.  Honor  and  Truth  are  all  powerful. 
Although  they  may  seem  to  be  trodden  underfoot,  yet 
they  spring  to  the  surface  triumphant  and  bring  their 
own  reward." 

"Old-fashioned  talk,  my  dear!  Look  at  many  shining 

42 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


examples  of  modern  bankers  and  financiers.  Many  are 
shamefully  dishonest ;  but  they  steal  legally,  as  it  were, 
sheltered  by  their  own  power  of.  wealth  and  the  influ- 
ence they  can  bring  to  bear  on  that  elastic  fabric  known 
as  the  law." 

Mrs.  Doure  shook  her  head  in  dissent. 

"Remember,  dear,"  she  rejoined,  "that  'nothing  is 
real  and  eternal  but  God  and  his  idea.'  Evil  has  no 
reality.  It  is  neither  person,  place  nor  thing.  It  is  sim- 
ply a  belief,  a  wicked  illusion  of  the  material  senses. 
The  triumphs  of  these  men  you  describe  are  only  seem- 
ing triumphs,  and  they  bring  misery  and  despair  in 
place  of  peace  and  joy.  The  Bible  says:  'Ask  and  it 
shall  be  given  unto  you,'  so  let  us  ask  the  aid  of  Divine 
Love  and  trust  in  His  almighty  power,  who  alone  is  In- 
telligence." 

"Nonsense!  A  business  man  nowadays  can  trust  in 
nothing  save  his  own  ability  to  do  the  other  fellow  be- 
fore he  himself  is  done,  to  use  a  colloquialism.  If  a 
man  has  this  ability  he  will  make  a  success  of  business 
and  reap  millions,  possibly,  as  a  result  of  his  unscrup- 
ulousness,  otherwise  he  will  soon  become  a  bankrupt 
and  some  one  else  will  gather  in  the  golden  harvest.  But 
do  not  let  us  argue  over  this  subject  in  my  present  con- 
dition. Theories  are  very  well  for  those  who  do  not 
come  in  contact  with  real  life.  Why,  the  credulity 
of  the  average  person  is  pitiful.  I  could  announce 
myself  as  the  reincarnation  of  one  of  the  apostles  and 
if  I  kept  at  it  I  would  in  time  acquire  a  following,  and 


43 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


there  would  be  many  who  believed  in  me.  Bah,  it's  the 
same  old  story!" 

Doure  rose  and  paced  the  floor  restlessly,  his  hand 
rubbing  his  brow  in  which  the  neuralgic  pains  had 
caused  deep  lines  to  appear.  Occasionally  he  would 
pause  to  apply  a  lotion  prescribed  by  a  physician,  but 
he  secured  no  relief. 

Mrs.  Doure  watched  him  as  he  paced  to  and  fro. 

"Now  is  a  good  time,  Herbert, "  she  finally  said,  "to 
prove  whether  or  not  Christian  Science  is  a  fad  or  a 
theory.  You  are  getting  no  relief  from  the  medicine 
you  are  using,  and  I  can  see  that  you  are  suffering. 
Let  me  try  to  help  you.  If  you  are  willing  to  let  me 
read  to  you  awhile,  or  are  willing  to  have  me  de- 
monstrate over  these  dark  beliefs,  I  think  I  can  be  the 
channel  for  Love  to  aid  you.  Will  you  let  me  try  ? ' ' 

"What  do  you  want  to  do?" 

"Merely  to  sit  beside  you  and  ask  for  your  freedom 
from  the  mortal  sense.  A  Christian  Scientist's  medicine 
is  Mind,  the  Divine  Truth  that  makes  man  free." 

"Yes,  yes,"  he  said  impatiently,  "Go  ahead  and  do 
what  you  will,  for  this  pain  is  intolerable." 

He  seated  himself,  head  in  hands,  on  a  low  couch, 
while  his  wife  read  aloud  from  her  little  leather-covered 
book,  and  then  remained  quiet.  In  a  short  time  Doure 
stretched  himself  at  full  length  upon  the  lounge,  and 
as  the  minutes  went  by,  his  breathing  became  more 
regular,  and  at  the  end  of  half  an  hour  he  was  sleeping 
peacefully;  "pain  had  vanished  to  its  native  nothing- 
ness." Mrs.  Doure  quietly  spread  a  slumber  robe  over 

44 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


the  recumbent  form,  and  went  to  the  bed  room  where 
her  sister  was  reading. 

"Camille,  I  believe  that  in  time  we  will  bring  Her- 
bert to  see  the  Truth,"  she  said,  seating  herself  by  the 
side  of  the  younger  woman.  She  then  told  of  the  neur- 
algia and  the  demonstration  that  had  just  been  made. 

"But  we  have  a  number  of  momentous  problems  to 
handle,"  she  continued.  "The  first  is  to  gain  definite 
news  of  our  precious  Esther ;  the  second  is  to  find  peace 
for  you,  and  to  adjust  Herbert's  complicated  financial 
affairs,  which,  coming  at  this  time  of  sorrow,  threaten 
to  overwhelm  him  entirely.  It  is  a  question  in  my  mind 
as  to  whether  our  knowledge  of  Science  is  sufficiently 
clear  to  handle  these  great  undertakings.  I  feel  we 
need  some  one  to  help  us  who  has  a  higher  understand- 
ing than  we  have  gained." 

"Why  not  send  for  Dr.  Wellingf ord ? "  answered 
Camille.  "He  has  a  high  understanding  of  Truth.  You 
know  his  own  wonderful  healing  saved  him  from  the 
leper  colony." 

"Yes,  it  would  be  a  great  comfort  to  have  him  now, 
for  the  error  clouds  seem  very  dark.  Will  you  tele- 
phone and  ask  if  he  can  come?" 

Doure  had  awakened,  refreshed  and  free  from  pain, 
when  Dr.  Wellingford  arrived.  He  was  a  tall,  impres- 
sive appearing  man,  whose  strong,  kindly,  clear-com- 
plexioned  face  was  surrmounted  with  a  mass  of  wavy, 
snow-white  hair.  The  gentle  expression  in  the  clear 
eyes  softened  lines  in  the  face  caused  by  former  suffer- 
ing. His  figure  was  still  straight,  and  there  was  a  spring 

45 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


to  his  step  and  a  suggestion  of  perfect  health  and  ac- 
tivity that  appeared  incongruous  in  connection  with  his 
white  hair.  Mrs.  Doure  and  Camille  welcomed  him, 
and  the  three  seated  themselves  on  the  porch  of  the 
pretty  home,  nestling  in  the  heart  of  the  European 
quarter,  and  perched  on  the  hill  overlooking  the  busy 
city  and  harbor  dotted  with  ships  of  all  nations,  where 
the  quaint  Chinese  fishing  boats  dodged  in  and  out 
among  the  great  vessels.  Dr.  Wellingford  gazed  out 
over  the  wonderful  picture,  while  thoughtfully  listen- 
ing as  Mrs.  Doure  briefly  detailed  the  problems  of  seem- 
ing sorrow  and  business  that  false  beliefs  had  now 
drawn  around  their  lives.  There  was  a  force  to  his 
personality  that  seemed  to  radiate  from  him  and  lend 
strength  to  the  anxious  hearts  now  asking  for  help. 
He  nodded  understandingly  during  Mrs.  Doure  ?s  re- 
cital, and  when  she  ceased  speaking  he  smiled  encour- 
agingly. 

"  Understand  the  Truth  and  claim  its  aid,  and  every 
error  will  vanish  into  its  native  nothingness,"  he  said. 
"After  my  own  healing  I  went  to  America  and  had  the 
privilege  of  class  instruction  in  Boston,  which  gave  me 
a  higher  understanding.  I  will  be  glad  to  assist  you." 

As  dinner  was  then  announced,  they  postponed  the 
treatment  until  a  time  of  quiet  and  leisure.  Mr.  Doure 
appeared  at  the  door,  and,  seeing  the  guest,  cordially 
welcomed  him. 

"Well,  well,  Dr.  Wellingford,  glad  to  see  you!"  he 
exclaimed,  grasping  the  old  man's  hand.  "Let  me  see, 
it  must  be  seven  years  since  I  last  had  the  pleasure  of 

46 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


meeting  you,  when  we  toured  the  Orient  on  our  way 
around  the  world.  Why,  I  do  believe  you  are  growing 
younger  instead  of  the  opposite.  At  our  last  meeting, 
if  I  remember  rightly,  you  tried  to  convert  me  and 
make  a  Christian  out  of  me,  but  I  am  afraid  that  was 
impossible.  Business  men  nowadays  devote  too  much  at- 
tention to  mundane  affairs.  But  how  is  the  mission  pro- 
gressing? You  must  have  built  up  quite  a  flourishing 
college  by  this  time." 

Dr.  Wellingford  smiled  as  he  and  Doure  followed  the 
ladies  into  the  dining-room  and  he  took  the  offered  seat 
at  the  table. 

"I  am  no  longer  connected  with  a  missionary  board," 
he  answered,  "I  resigned  from  that  branch  of  church 
labor  three  years  ago." 

" Indeed!  My  time  and  thoughts  have  been  so  cen- 
tered on  this  railroad  negotiation  that  I  have  had  little 
social  news ;  but  after  thirty  years  spent  in  China  teach- 
ing the  heathen  it  must  seem  strange  to  lay  it  aside. 
Did  it  become  too  strenuous  with  advancing  years?" 

"Before  I  answer  that  question,"  said  the  doctor, 
"tell  me  if  you  think  I  am  a  healthful-looking  man." 

"You  certainly  appear  to  be  in  the  pink  of  vigorous 
condition,"  replied  Doure,  in  a  puzzled  manner.  "In 
fact,  as  I  told  you  before,  you  seem  ten  years  younger 
in  appearance  than  when  I  saw  you  last." 

"Yes,  I  am  younger,  both  mentally  and  physically, 
and  yet,  according  to  the  material  world  I  am  very  old, 
as  earthly  years  are  reckoned." 

"I  do  not  quite  understand  you,  doctor,  but  may  I 

47 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


inquire  how  old  you  are ?  You  can't  be  more  than  fifty- 
five  or  sixty,  judging  from  vigorous  indications." 

Dr.  Wellingford  smiled.  "We  do  not  acknowledge 
birthdays,"  he  answered,  "but  since  you  are  curious  I 
do  not  mind  telling  you  that  I  shall  soon  be  eighty-four 
years  old." 

He  made  the  admission  in  an  impersonal  manner,  as 
though  he  had  no  interest  in  the  matter. 

"It  seems  impossible !"  exclaimed  Doure,  and  even 
his  wife  and  her  sister  looked  at  their  guest  in  amaze- 
ment. 

"Yes,  by  chronological  data  that  is  a  worldly  fact.55 
Dr.  Wellingford  continued :  "But  in  reality  I  am  young, 
and  I  shall  never  grow  old,  for  God's  children  reflect 
eternal  youth." 

"You  must  have  discovered  the  secret  that  Ponce  de 
Leon  gave  his  life  in  a  vain  effort  to  find,"  laughed 
Doure. 

"No,  it  is  an  open  secret  that  all  can  have  who  desire 
the  Truth.  It  is  all  contained  within  the  covers  of  this 
little  book, ' '  and  he  took  from  his  inner  pocket  and  laid 
on  the  table  a  copy  of  Science  and  Health. 

Doure  glanced  at  it  in  apparent  disapproval.  "So, 
you  too  have  turned  Christian  Scientist!  Well,  who 
will  get  the  idea  next?  Do  you  really  believe  there  is 
a  principle  underlying  it?" 

The  old  man's  face  shone  with  a  wonderous  light  as 
he  replied : 

"My  dear  friend,  I  not  only  know  that  every  word 
contained  in  this  book  is  the  truth,  but  I  am  a  living 

48 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


proof  of  it.  Perhaps  a  personal  testimony  will  enlight- 
en you.  When  I  last  saw  you  I  was"  a  leper,  but  the 
knowledge  of  the  Science  of  Being  which  I  gained  from 
that  book  cleansed  me  and  I  was  born  again.  I  did  not 
understand,  at  the  time,  what  this  Power  was  which 
had  set  me  free,  but  I  knew  it  came  from  the  reading 
of  the  book." 

.  Doure  gazed  at  the  old  missionary  in  a  startled  man- 
ner :  Surely  there  was  some  misapprehension  regarding 
the  malady !"  he  exclaimed. 

1 l  There  are  four  reputable  physicians  in  this  city  who 
will  assert  that  I  was  in  that  afflicted  condition,"  said 
Dr.  Wellingford.  "  Christian  Science,  that  is,  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  Truth,  of  the  power  of  Omnipotent  Love, 
at  that  hour  of  despair,  saved  me  through  the  under- 
standing of  a  faithful  friend  who  brought  me  the  book. 
It  made  me  a  well  man ;  it  gave  me  a  new  claim  of  per- 
fect life,  for  I  saw  that  this  was  the  truth  which  Jesus, 
the  Christ,  taught  to  save  humanity  from  their  dark 
beliefs,  and  has  enabled  me  now  to  demonstrate  the  liv- 
ing Truth  for  those  who  are  in  bondage  to  mental  or 
physical  claims." 

"This  is  astounding!  Do  you  really  mean  to  tell  me 
that  you  were  cured  of  leprosy?"  asked  Doure.  "Why, 
the  statement  seems  incredible. '  ' 

"Nevertheless,  it  is  true.  In  the  hour  of  my  terrible 
need  I  was  receptive  to  Truth ;  I  learned  the  impotence 
of  error  and  the  Omnipotence  of  Mind ;  also  the  eternal 
fact  that  mortal  mind  and  body  are  the  material  dream, 
and  that  the  only  reality  is  Immortal  Mind.  By  study- 


49 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


ing  this  inspired  text  book  and  the  Bible  you  will  find 
that  matter  is  a  false  conception  of  mortal  mind ;  that 
this  so-called  mind  builds  its  own  superstructure,  of 
which  the  material  body  is  the  grosser  portion ;  but  that 
from  first  to  last  the  body  is  a  sensuous,  human  con- 
cept, without  foundation  and  dissolving  into  dust.  The 
understanding,  even  in  a  degree,  of  Divine  Love  de- 
stroys fear." 

"That  is  all  Greek  to  me,  doctor.  I  have  been  a  sup- 
porter of  orthodox  churches  for  years,  believing  their 
influence  was  good;  but  I  admit  that  I  have  never  had 
time  or  inclination  to  read  the  Bible  to  any  great  ex- 
tent since  I  was  a  small  boy,  and  was  compelled  to  do 
so  at  least  once  a  week.  But  this  information  about  the 
body  being  nothing  is  non-intelligible  to  me.  My  wife, 
here,  attributes  her  healing  from  invalidism  to  this 
Science  and  claims  that  there  is  no  such  thing  in  reality 
as  sickness ;  yet  you,  also  a  Christian  Scientist,  just  con- 
fessed that  at  one  time  you  were  a  leper.  Is  there  not 
a  slight  discrepancy?" 

"Not  when  you  gain  even  a  glimpse  of  the  Principle 
of  Love,  which  illumines,  designates  and  leads  the 
way,"  replied  Dr.  Wellingford.  "The  statement  that 
there  is  no  reality  in  sickness  is  proved  by  the  fact  that 
when  held  up  to  the  light  of  Truth  it  vanishes,  as  was 
illustrated  in  the  case  of  Mrs.  Doure,  and  also  my  own. 
If  it  had  been  real,  it  would  have  been  impossible  to 
destroy  it,  as  a  thing  that  is  real  is  indistructable.  That 
is  the  difference  between  seeming  reality  and  reality. 
Truth  is  real  and  dispells  sickness  and  the  kindred  er- 

50 


51 


.1 

Q 
1 

-Si 

'5 
§ 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


rors  which  are  only  seemingly  real;  the  superiority  of 
spiritual  power  over  mortal  mind  is  the  controlling 
point  of  Christian  Science. " 

Doure  was  thoughtful  for  a  moment. 

"You  may  be  right,  doctor,  but  I  have  little  faith 
in  this  mental  doctoring,  hypnotism,  mesmerism,  tele- 
pathy or  whatever  you  call  it.  Metaphysics  may  attract 
the  student  and  the  dreamer,  but  I  am  afraid  I  am  too 
practical." 

11  There  is  where  many  people  make  their  mistake/' 
rejoined  Dr.  Wellingford.  "They  ignorantly  believe 
that  the  Science  of  Life  is  hypnotism  or  spiritualism  or 
some  other  kind  of  ism.  It  is  not  so.  There  is  but  one 
spiritual  existence,  the  life  of  which  corporeal  sense  can 
take  no  cognizance.  The  Divine  principle  of  man  speaks 
through  immortal  sense,  and  takes  spiritual  control  of 
the  counterfeit  human.  Hypnotism  is  merely  the  false 
mortal  conception  exerting  a  baneful  influence  over  an- 
other mortal  mind.  The  results  are  bad  at  best,  for 
Spirit,  which  is  God,  has  no  part  in  the  transaction. 

"In  regard  to  spiritualism-medium  control,  the  belief 
that  one  man  as  spirit,  can  control  another  man  as  mat- 
ter, upsets  both  the  individuality  and  the  science  of 
man,  for  man  is  the  image  and  likeness  of  God.  God 
controls  man,  who  is  his  reflection,  and  God  is  the  only 
spirit.  Any  other  control  or  attraction  of  the  so-called 
spirit  is  a  mortal  belief,  which  ought  to  be  known  by 
its  fruit — the  repetition  of  evil.  These  are  the  words 
of  Mrs.  Eddy  who  discovered,  or  I  should  say,  redis- 
covered the  meaning  of  Christ's  teachings.  Jesus  was 


53 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


the  fleshy  body  which  rendered  Truth  visible  and  en- 
abled him  to  be  the  Way-shower." 

"I  gather  from  what  you  say  that  you  take  issue  with 
all  the  denominational  churches,"  said  Doure. 

"The  various  churches  mean  well,  no  doubt,  and  are 
helpful  so  far  as  they  know.  Scholarly  men  who  preach 
the  gospel  are  conscientious  and  earnest,  but  they  are 
blind  in  regard  to  the  spiritual  fact;  groping  in  the 
dark,  in  the  belief  of  the  material.  They  preach  of  hell- 
fire  and  eternal  damnation  and  make  God,  who  is  Love, 
a  pitiless  person  more  cruel  than  any  tyrant  this  world 
has  ever  seen.  They  tell  the  sick  it  is  God's  will." 

"There  you  hit  the  nail  on  the  head,  doctor.  That's 
one  reason  why  the  orthodox  church  has  had  no  influ- 
ence with  me.  I  could  never  bring  myself  to  pray  to  a 
God  who  had  to  be  catered  to  and  praised  in  order  to 
get  him  to  do  his  common  duty;  and  I  never  could  be- 
lieve in  a  personal  devil  or  in  the  locality  of  a  hell.  If 
I  saw  the  devil  now  I  would  consult  an  oculist  without 
delay.  But  have  Christian  Scientists  any  creed?" 

"I  will  answer  you  in  Mrs.  Eddy's  inspired  words: 

"  'They  have  not,  if  by  that  term  is  meant  doctrinal 
beliefs. ' 

' '  I  will  read  you  from  Science  and  Health  a  brief  ex- 
position of  the  important  points,  or  religious  tenets  of 
Christian  Science  : 

"  '1    As  adherents  of  Truth,  we  take  the  inspired 

Word  of  the  Bible  as  our  sufficient  guide  to  eternal  Life. 

'  '2     We  acknowledge  and  adore  one  supreme  and 

infinite  God.    We  acknowledge  His  Son,  the  Holy  Ghost 

54 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


or  Divine  Comforter;  and  man  is  God's  image  and  like- 
ness. 

"  /  3  We  acknowledge  God 's  forgiveness  of  sin  in  the 
destruction  of  sin  and  the  spiritual  understanding  that 
casts  out  evil  as  unreal.  But  the  belief  in  sin  is  pun- 
ished so  long  as  the  belief  lasts. 

"  '4  We  acknowledge  Jesus'  atonement  as  the  evi- 
dence of  divine,  efficacious  Love,  unfolding  man's  unity 
with  God  through  Christ  Jesus  the  way-shower ;  and  we 
acknowledge  that  man  is  saved  through  Christ,  through 
Truth,  Life  and  Love  as  demonstrated  by  the  Galilean 
Prophet  in  healing  the  sick  and  overcoming  sin  and 
death. 

£  '5  We  acknowledge  that  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus 
and  his  resurrection  serve  to  uplift  faith  to  understand 
eternal  Life,  even  the  allness  of  Soul,  Spirit,  and  the 
nothingness  of  matter. 

£  '  6  And  we  solemnly  promise  to  watch  and  pray 
for  that  Mind  to  be  in  us  which  was  also  in  Christ- 
Jesus  ;  to  do  unto  others  as  we  would  have  them  do  unto 
us,  and  to  be  merciful,  just  and  pure.'  : 

"The  tenets  of  the  faith  are  beautiful.  It  certainly 
wins  strong  adherents.  My  wife  and  her  sister  have 
borne  up  wonderfully  since  the  terrible  news  was  re- 
ceived. They  believe  that  our  little  girl  has  been  saved 
from  the  wreck  of  the  Merving  Hall,  through  that  same 
Omnipotent  Power  of  which  you  have  been  talking, 
but  for  my  part,  I  can  see  nothing  on  which  to  pin  a 
shred  of  faith.  There  were  no  women  or  children  re- 
ported picked  up,  and  I  cannot  see  how  our  little  darl- 


55 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


ing  could  have  been  saved.  What  is  your  view  regard- 
ing it,  doctor?" 

"It  was  an  appalling  calamity — but  we  in  Science 
look  beyond  material  evidence.  We  know  Divine  Love 
is  Omnipotent,  Omnipresent  and  Omniscient.  Mrs. 
Doure  tells  me  that  your  little  daughter  has  been  an 
earnest  Sunday  School  pupil,  and  therefore  a  student 
of  Science.  No  doubt  she  claimed  help  in  that  terrible 
hour  of  need.  Hold  steadfastly  to  the  Truth,  claim  the 
right,  and  let  Divine  Love  smooth  the  troubled  waters. 
Mrs.  Doure  has  asked  me  to  help  in  this  demonstration. 
She  and  Miss  Camille  have  steadily  denied  any  power 
of  evil ;  so  we  must  know  that  Omnipotent  Mind  has  pro- 
vided safety  for  your  child.  Are  you  willing  to  be 
present  when  we  declare  the  Truth  for  her?" 

There  was  a  mist  of  tears  in  Doure 's  eyes  as  he  bowed 
his  head  and  silently  extended  his  hand  to  the  good 
friend. 

"If  you  would  but  study  Science  and  Health,  the  rev- 
elation of  this  Principle  of  life  would  lift  you  above 
material  delusions  and  you  would  understand  the  noth- 
ingness of  error,  which  vanishes  before  the  light  of 
Truth,"  said  Dr.  Wellingford. 

They  then  arose  from  the  table  and  entered  the  front 
room,  closing  the  doors  against  interruption.  There 
was  a  silence  that  was  eloquent  of  peace  and  strength, 
during  the  time  the  practitioner,  with  eyes  closed,  was 
"treating"  them.  When  he  finished,  Doure  said: 

"I  believe  I  will  at  least  try  to  read  the  book,  since 
you  say  it  is  the  'the  voice  of  Truth  to  this  age';  and 

56 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


that  thus  man  appropriates  those  things  'which  eye 
hath  not  seen  nor  ear  hear.'  I  badly  need  help  now, 
for,  besides  this  dreadful  anxiety  over  Esther's  fate, 
I  am  confronted  with  an  unlocked  for  difficulty  in  the 
negotiations  over  the  railroad  concession.  A  friend  has 
offered  me  the  use  of  his  steam  yacht  jf  I  cared  to  go  in 
search  of  some  clew  as  to  our  little  girl's  fate,  but  I 
do  not  see  how  I  can  leave  at  the  present  time  without 
sacrificing  our  entire  business  interests,  and  this  would 
be  a  serious  matter  to  the  syndicate  and  also  to  me.  If 
I  thought  there  was  a  possibility  of  finding  my  little 
girl,  you  know,  of  course,  that  worldly  affairs  would  not 
stand  in  my  way,  but  the  possibility  seems  so  slight  that 
it  gives  me  scarcely  any  hope.  But  I  can  send  my  wife 
and  her  sister  under  the  care  of  our  friends,  the  Wor- 
dens.  I  should  like  to  accompany  them,  but  I  do  not  see 
how  I  can  arrange  my  affairs  to  get  away." 

1 '  Mr.  Doure, ' '  solemnly  said  the  old  man,  ' '  God  is  all 
powerful.  I  understand  the  difficulty  that  confronts 
you  in  the  matter  of  the  concession.  I  have  not  lived 
in  the  Orient  for  nearly  forty  years  without  acquiring 
a  full  knowledge  of  existing  conditions.  This  matter 
will  take  time;  it  cannot  be  pushed  in  a  hurry,  and  it 
will  be  of  no  immediate  interest  to  wait  here  when  you 
seem  anxious  and  unhappy.  Go  with  Mrs.  Doure  and 
Miss  Camille  and  recover  your  little  girl,  and  learn  the 
Truth  of  Being.  If  you  care  to  place  the  matter  of 
the  railroad  concession  in  my  hand,  I  have  no  doubt 
that  these  worldly  claims  will  adjust  themselves  to 
your  complete  satisfaction;  probably  beyond  your  ex- 
pectations." 

57 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


Doure  knew  that  Dr.  Wellingford,  during  his  many 
years  in  the  Orient,  had  gained  great  influence  with 
the  Peking  authorities,  and  gratefully  accepted  his 
offer  of  aid,  even  though  he  regarded  it  in  the  light  of 
material  aid  rather  than  spiritual  help. 

"Doctor,  you've  taken  a  load  off  my  mind,"  he  said, 
' '  and  I  am  beginning  to  hope  that  we  may  find  Esther. 
Furthermore,  I'm  going  to  read  Science  and  Health 
from  cover  to  cover,  and  seek  to  imbibe  not  the  letter 
but  the  spirit. " 

As  the  old  practitioner  walked  homewards  he  paused 
an  instant  on  the  brow  of  the  hill,  and  glanced  at  the 
strange  city  at  his  feet.  A  myriad  of  lights  twinkled 
through  the  darkness,  and  a  rickshaw  drawn  by  a  bare- 
footed Oriental  creaked  by.  The  ships  swung  at  their 
anchors  and  from  all  ascended  that  indescribable 
"smell  of  the  Orient,"  that  charms  and  holds  the  trav- 
elers from  other  lands.  He  stood  gazing  at  the  fair 
picture:  finally  murmuring:  "Love  heals  every  heart- 
ache as  well  as  other  earthly  errors." 


The  Two  Castaways 


CHAPTER  V. 


EA  and  sky  bended  in  a  blazing  medley  of  gor- 
geous colors  as  the  sun  climbed  from  the  rim 
of  the  ocean,  painting  the  sapphire  vault  of  the 
heavens  with  vivid  dashes  of  vermillion  and  gold ;  tip- 
ping fleecy  clouds  with  glowing  color;  changing  the 
emerald  rollers  that  swept  rhythmically  across  the  sur- 
face of  the  sea  with  an  endless  monotone,  into  lustrous 
billows  of  irridescent,  glowing  beauty.  Already  the 
heat  of  the  day  made  the  odd  pair  of  voyagers  on  the 
little  raft  stir  uneasily.  Bentley  awakened  from  a 
troubled  sleep  and  gazed  at  the  sun  with  mingled  emo- 
tions. Seldom  before  in  his  checkered  life  had  he  been 
so  keenly  alive  to  the  splendors  of  nature.  There  was 
a  charm  to  the  sea  and  sky,  to  the  marvelous  dashes 
and  splashes  of  celestial  color,  that  heretofore  he  had 
at  times  dimly  felt  but  never  realized. 

The  ten  days  on  the  raft  with  the  child  had  awak- 
ened a  side  of  his  nature  of  which  he  had  been  uncon- 
scious. He  was  now  in  closer  touch  with  the  Spirit 
of  Life  than  at  any  former  period  in  his  remembrance. 
Much  of  his  hardness  and  cynicism  had  melted,  giving 
way  to  softer  thoughts  and  kindlier  feelings,  under  the 
combined  influence  of  the  little  girl's  odd  philosophy 
and  the  communion  with  Nature. 

"But  its  nearly  over  now,"  he  thought,  looking  at 


59 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


the  almost  empty  water  cask,  1 1  and  then well . ' ? 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders  with  the  old  careless  mo- 
tion that  had  characterized  him  ashore,  but  which  now 
was  followed  by  an  involuntary  sigh. 

The  child  stirred  and  sat  up  with  a  bright  smile  She 
was  pale  and  thinner,  but  with  the  same  happy  and 
untroubled  look  that  had  first  attracted  Bentley's  at- 
tention. 

' '  Oh,  how  pretty ! ' '  she  cried,  gazing  at  the  wondrous 
picture  presented  by  the  tropical  sunrise.  Bentley 
smiled  at  her.  He  had  never  ceased  to  wonder  at  the 
peace  and  sweetness  of  the  little  girl's  character  under 
the  most  trying  circumstances;  never  complaining,  al- 
ways happy  and  confident  in  her  belief  that  help  would 
come  to  them.  She  was  exquisitely  refined  and  orderly 
in  her  habits,  retiring  behind  the  canvas  screen  with  her 
little  satchel,  from  whence  came  towel  and  brush  and 
comb;  then  returning  with  the  golden  hair  arranged 
in  long  curls,  and  the  crumpled  dress  smoothed  as  well 
as  possible  under  the  difficult  circumstances. 

* '  And  in  another  few  days  this  poor  little  darling  will 
be  food  for  the  sharks, ' '  Bentley  thought,  gazing  at  her 
with  an  odd  lump  in  his  throat,  for  the  child  had  be- 
come inexpressibly  dear  to  him. 

"Now,  don't  feel  sad,"  she  suddenly  said,  noting  the 
melancholy  expression  that  flitted  across  the  man's 
strong  face.  "You  must  learn  to  know  that  we  are 
all  right,  and  that  we  are  being  protected  and  cared 
for.  God  is  all  around  us,  and  we  cannot  suffer.  Let 
us  get  out  the  lesson  now.  You  take  the  Bible  and  read 

60 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


about  the  loaves  and  fishes,  and  you  will  see  that  Love 
did  not  let  the  people  go  hungry.  Perhaps  you  would 
never  have  known  of  Science  if  it  had  not  been  for  this 
wreck/'  and  the  big  blue  eye's  looked  into  his  with  an 
earnestness  that  made  Bentley,  while  he  thrilled  to  her 
words  of  hope,  think  of  another  pair  of  blue  eyes,  and 
again  he  sighed. 

"You  have  a  beautiful  religion,  Esther,  and  I  believe 
that  there  is  much  truth  in  it.  If  I  had  known  more 
about  it  earlier  in  my  life,  possibly  I  would  have  been 
a  different  man,  but  it  is  too  late  now.  Dangers  are 
thickening  around  us  and  you  will  need  all  your  spir- 
itual strength  for  the  inevitable  end  that  is  fast  ap- 
proaching. While  we  had  enough  water  to  drink  the 
heat  was  not  so  hard  to  bear,  but  there  is  very  little 
left  now.  You  can  understand  what  that  means,  be- 
cause you  have  intelligence  far  beyond  your  years. " 

She  shook  her  head  with  a  deprecatory  wave  of  her 
hand. 

"Won't  you  understand  that  we  cannot  want  for 
anything?"  she  questioned.  "I  know  that  you  are 
afraid  that  we  will  want  for  water  and  die  from  it,  but 
water  will  be  supplied  us  when  we  need  it.  We  do  not 
need  it  yet.  If  you  remember,  we  read  yesterday  how 
Moses  was  told  by  God  to  get  water  from  a  rock  off  in 
the  desert.  Now  just  listen  while  I  read  from  our  Text 
Book:  'Divine  Love  always  has  met  and  always  will 
meet  every  human  need.'  You  must  not  be  like  the 
Thomas  who  lived  long  ago  and  who  was  always  doubt- 
ing," and  she  smiled  in  her  quaint  little  way.  "We 


61 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


such  as  he  had  not  known  for  many  burdensome  years. 
The  soft  voice  of  the  child  as  she  read  to  him  from  her 
Science  and  Health  or  the  Bible,  while  he  shielded  her 
from  the  glare  of  the  sun  with  a  corner  of  the  small 
sail,  had  soothingly  mingled  with  the  lapping  of  the  lan- 
guid water  against  the  sides  of  the  raft  as  it  rose  and 
fell  on  the  long  rollers.  Death  might  be  at  the  end — 
but  Bentley  felt  content.  For  once  in  his  life  he 
had  found  peace,  perfect  peace,  such  as  he  had 
dreamed  of,  but  never  known.  Unconsciously  he  had 
absorbed  part  of  the  child's  belief  that  a  power  of 
Good  was  all  around  them  and  would  care  for  and  pro- 
tect them.  He  vainly  puzzled  his  head  as  to  what  this 
unseen  power  really  was,  but  groping  in  the  spiritual 
ignorance  of  many  years  spent  in  the  harder,  material 
side  of  life,  it  was  as  yet  a  mystery  to  him.  What  the 
child  read  appealed  to  him  as  beautiful.  He  dimly  un- 
derstood the  lofty  sentiments  expressed,  and  while  feel- 
ing that  they  were  based  on  truth,  it  was  difficult  for  a 
man  whose  life  for  so  many  years  had  been  the  reverse 
of  all  that  he  was  learning,  to  change  or  accept  the 
teachings  without  a  clearer  understanding.  At  times  he 
scarcely  heard  the  child's  words  as  she  read  to  him, 
merely  listening  to  the  solemn  music  of  the  voice  of  the 
sea  which  blended  with  the  little  girl 's  soft  tones,  final- 
ly sinking  into  a  peaceful  slumber  from  which  he  would 
awaken  refreshed  and  strengthened,  and  with  a  feeling 
of  peace  and  contentment,  hitherto  foreign  to  his  irri- 
table, unhappy  nature.  Life,  which  formerly  held  little 
heart  interest,  now  assumed  nobler  proportions.  Ambi- 

64 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


tion  of  a  higher  tone,  calling  for  better  work,  stirred 
within  him,  and  kindlier  thoughts,  in  which  he  vague- 
ly felt  a  truer  duty  towards  his  fellow  men,  replaced  the 
bitterness  that  had  characterized  him  for  so  many  years. 
Possibly  there  was  some  good  in  the  world  after  all,  he 
thought,  and  in  a  dim  way  he  began  to  comprehend  that 
he  had  seldom  endeavored  to  find  or  even  expect  aught 
but  the  worst  from  the  men  and  women  with  whom  he 
had  come  in  contact. 

The  question  now  arose  in  his  mind  as  to  whether  or 
not  he  had  been  mistaken  and  unfair.  Possibly  there 
were  many  people  in  the  world  who  viewed  life  in  the 
same  uplifting  way  as  his  little  companion.  The 
thought  puzzled  him.  Was  it  through  ignorance  of  the 
darker  side  of  life ;  was  it  due  to  the  sheltering  existence 
they  led,  away  from  temptation  and  away  from  the 
endless  struggle  to  live ;  or  was  it  through  an  innate  de- 
sire to  do  right?  These  questions  which  Bentley  for- 
merly believed  were  settled  to  his  entire  satisfaction 
now  intruded  themselves  in  his  thoughts  with  disturb- 
ing force ;  but  the  abiding  conviction  was  on  the  softer 
side  when  gazing  at  the  child  or  when  listening  to  her 
voice  when  she  read  from  her  little  leather-covered 
book. 

The  days  passed  quickly.  There  was  the  preparing  of 
the  simple  meals;  the  opening  of  tins  with  his  pocket 
knife,  and  the  make-believe  that  the  canned  meats  were 
various  and  dainty  delicacies.  It  was  great  fun  for 
both  the  man  and  the  child. 

From  old  cans  Bentley  had  constructed  a  rude  stove, 

65 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


such  as  he  had  not  known  for  many  burdensome  years. 
The  soft  voice  of  the  child  as  she  read  to  him  from  her 
Science  and  Health  or  the  Bible,  while  he  shielded  her 
from  the  glare  of  the  sun  with  a  corner  of  the  small 
sail,  had  soothingly  mingled  with  the  lapping  of  the  lan- 
guid water  against  the  sides  of  the  raft  as  it  rose  and 
fell  on  the  long  rollers.  Death  might  be  at  the  end — 
but  Bentley  felt  content.  For  once  in  his  life  he 
had  found  peace,  perfect  peace,  such  as  he  had 
dreamed  of,  but  never  known.  Unconsciously  he  had 
absorbed  part  of  the  child's  belief  that  a  power  of 
Good  was  all  around  them  and  would  care  for  and  pro- 
tect them.  He  vainly  puzzled  his  head  as  to  what  this 
unseen  power  really  was,  but  groping  in  the  spiritual 
ignorance  of  many  years  spent  in  the  harder,  material 
side  of  life,  it  was  as  yet  a  mystery  to  him.  What  the 
child  read  appealed  to  him  as  beautiful.  He  dimly  un- 
derstood the  lofty  sentiments  expressed,  and  while  feel- 
ing that  they  were  based  on  truth,  it  was  difficult  for  a 
man  whose  life  for  so  many  years  had  been  the  reverse 
of  all  that  he  was  learning,  to  change  or  accept  the 
teachings  without  a  clearer  understanding.  At  times  he 
scarcely  heard  the  child's  words  as  she  read  to  him, 
merely  listening  to  the  solemn  music  of  the  voice  of  the 
sea  which  blended  with  the  little  girl 's  soft  tones,  final- 
ly sinking  into  a  peaceful  slumber  from  which  he  would 
awaken  refreshed  and  strengthened,  and  with  a  feeling 
of  peace  and  contentment,  hitherto  foreign  to  his  irri- 
table, unhappy  nature.  Life,  which  formerly  held  little 
heart  interest,  now  assumed  nobler  proportions.  Ambi- 

64 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


tion  of  a  higher  tone,  calling  for  better  work,  stirred 
within  him,  and  kindlier  thoughts,  in  which  he  vague- 
ly felt  a  truer  duty  towards  his  fellow  men,  replaced  the 
bitterness  that  had  characterized  him  for  so  many  years. 
Possibly  there  was  some  good  in  the  world  after  all,  he 
thought,  and  in  a  dim  way  he  began  to  comprehend  that 
he  had  seldom  endeavored  to  find  or  even  expect  aught 
but  the  worst  from  the  men  and  women  with  whom  he 
had  come  in  contact. 

The  question  now  arose  in  his  mind  as  to  whether  or 
not  he  had  been  mistaken  and  unfair.  Possibly  there 
were  many  people  in  the  world  who  viewed  life  in  the 
same  uplifting  way  as  his  little  companion.  The 
thought  puzzled  him.  Was  it  through  ignorance  of  the 
darker  side  of  life ;  was  it  due  to  the  sheltering  existence 
they  led,  away  from  temptation  and  away  from  the 
endless  struggle  to  live ;  or  was  it  through  an  innate  de- 
sire to  do  right?  These  questions  which  Bentley  for- 
merly believed  were  settled  to  his  entire  satisfaction 
now  intruded  themselves  in  his  thoughts  with  disturb- 
ing force ;  but  the  abiding  conviction  was  on  the  softer 
side  when  gazing  at  the  child  or  when  listening  to  her 
voice  when  she  read  from  her  little  leather-covered 
book. 

The  days  passed  quickly.  There  was  the  preparing  of 
the  simple  meals;  the  opening  of  tins  with  his  pocket 
knife,  and  the  make-believe  that  the  canned  meats  were 
various  and  dainty  delicacies.  It  was  great  fun  for 
both  the  man  and  the  child. 

From  old  cans  Bentley  had  constructed  a  rude  stove, 


65 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


and  with  bits  of  the  oars  he  would  occasionally  cook  a 
flying  fish  that  dropped  on  the  raft,  making  a  dainty 
dish,  which  was  relished  by  both,  while  from  the  wings 
of  the  little  creatures  Bentley  made  pretty  articles  for 
his  young  companion.  But  the  question  of  water  was 
ever  uppermost  in  Bentley 's  mind,  and  he  viewed  with 
a  sombre  eye  the  keg  which  contained  scarcely  more 
than  a  glassful,  although  he  had  carefully  husbanded 
the  precious  fluid,  denying  himself  in  order  that  the 
child  might  have  more.  But  the  supply  had  steadily 
dwindled  and  Bentley  had  little  faith  in  the  protecting 
unknown  power  of  which  Esther  had  told  him.  But  the 
little  girl  herself  expressed  no  fear,  and  apparently 
gave  no  thought  to  the  time  when  the  last  drop  would 
be  gone  from  the  keg. 

The  tenth  day  on  the  raft  wore  along,  and  when  the 
sun  sank  in  a  cloudless  sky  that  evening  Bentley  gazed 
at  it  with  a  pensive  air.  The  heat  had  been  unusually 
oppressive  throughout  the  day,  and  already  Bentley 
was  beginning  to  feel  the  pangs  of  thirst.  With  only 
a  glassful  of  water  left,  he  knew  the  end  was  not  far 
off. 

"The  last  sunset  we'll  ever  see,"  he  thought.  "A 
quick  death  is  better  than  the  sufferings  of  thirst,  and 
to-morrow  ends  it  all."  He  shrugged  his  shoulders  in 
his  cynical  manner  and  lay  studying  the  stars  which 
gleamed  over  head,  and  puzzling  over  the  strangeness 
of  life  and  the  world  old  question  as  to  the  reason  for 
it  all,  when  the  voice  of  the  child,  from  her  little  canvas 
nest,  broke  in  on  his  thoughts,  and  he  lay  listening  as 

66 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


she  softly  repeated:  "The  Lord  is  my  shepherd;  I 
shall  not  want."  Her  voice  was  drowsily  soft,  and 
with  the  last  words  her  eyes  closed. 

Bentley  gazed  at  the  sleeping  child  with  a  strange 
tenderness,  and  with  a  sense  of  peace,  despite  the  dan- 
gers, dropped  off  to  sleep. 


67 


Seeking  the  Wreck  Survivors, 


CHAPTER  VI. 

NE  of  the  seeming  great  troubles  with  most 
people  of  the  present  age  is  that  they  fail 
to  appreciate  their  blessings,  or  realize  what  Je- 
sus meant  when  he  said:  'Gather  up  the  fragments  that 
nothing  be  lost',"  said  Mrs.  Doure,  laying  down  her 
Science  and  Health  and  turning  to  her  husband  who  was 
smoking  beside  her,  with  his  face  clouded  and  anxious. 
They  were  on  the  deck  of  the  beautiful  yacht  Star  of  the 
East,  owned  by  the  Wordens,  friends  of  the  Doures  of 
many  years  standing,  who  had  been  the  first  to  volun- 
teer any  assistance  possible  when  they  heard  of  the  col- 
lision in  which  Esther  Doure 's  name  was  listed  among 
the  drowned. 

When  Doure  had  decided  to  accompany  his  wife  on 
the  search  for  some  trace  of  his  little  daughter,  the 
yacht  was  placed  at  their  disposal.  It  was  now  headed 
for  the  spot  where  the  ill-fated  Merving  Hall  was  sup- 
posed to  have  gone  down.  During  the  two  weeks  that 
had  elapsed  since  news  of  the  collision  had  startled  the 
world,  Doure  had  fretted,  and  lines  of  worry  were  seen 
in  his  fine  face.  It  was  this  look  that  caused  Mrs. 
Doure  to  point  out  the  many  blessings  that  they  were 
enjoying. 

"People  have  much  to  be  thankful  for  that  they  do 
not  realize,  Herbert, "  she  continued,  "and  we  are  in 


68 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


that  category,  for  we  have  each  other,  and  we  have 
health,  affluence,  and  we  have  the  hope  of  finding  our 
darling  Esther.  Try  to  see  the  brighter  side  of  life, 
and  realize  that  all  is  harmony  if  we  but  claim  it.  Hap- 
piness and  peace  are  the  only  realities ;  care  and  sorrow 
are  beliefs  of  error  which  have  no  foundation  in  fact 
and  are  only  a  dark  dream.  Am  I  not  right,  Camille  ? ' ' 
Camille  turned  to  Mrs.  Doure  with  a  smile.  "I 
should  think  that  Brother  Herbert  would  see  and  under- 
stand something  of  these  truths  even  from  observing 
the  changes  they  have  made  in  you  and  me,"  she  re- 
plied. "Do  you  not  remember  how  delicate  and  sickly 
we  both  were  before  we  came  into  the  understanding 
of  Science?  Do  we  manifest  those  unpleasant  errors 
any  longer?  Has  Annie  any  more  heavy  bills  for  med- 
ical attention,  for  drugs  and  for  trained  nurses?  Are 
we  not  more  keenly  alive  to  the  beauties  of  life  than 
formerly  ?  Can  we  not  enjoy  good,  wholesome  fun  and 
pleasantries  more  fully  at  the  present  time  than  ever 
before  ?  Of  course,  I  am  not  alluding  to  the  immediate 
present  when  the  clouds  of  uncertainty  over  Esther's 
fate  remain  undispelled.  But  are  not  the  answers  to 
these  questions  proof  that  we  have  been  led  into  the 
right  path  ?  We  do  not  fear  for  Esther  because  we  are 
trying  to  see  the  nothingness  of  error  when  it  holds  up 
the  picture  of  loss  and  death.  We  deny  evil  as  power, 
and  claim  that,  as  God's  image  and  likeness,  she  was 
protected  by  this  Omnipotent  Love,  and  that  in  her  res- 
toration to  us  will  be  manifested  the  victory  of  Truth 
over  error." 


69 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


11  Blind,  but  beautiful  faith!"  exclaimed  Doure.  "I 
fear  I  am  too  practical  for  belief  in  miraculous  salva- 
tion, although  if  by  any  chance  we  should,  as  you  ex- 
pect, find  Esther,  I  will  admit  I  was  governed  by  mate- 
rial law  and  will  then  try  to  gain  a  truer  understanding 
of  this  great  power,  but  I  want  some  proof  that  it  ex- 
ists. I  am  certainly  glad  and  willing  to  admit  the  won- 
derful and  delightful  change  in  Annie's  mental  and 
physical  condition,  but  I  am  not  sure  that  this  was 
brought  about  by  Divine  agency,  nor  does  her  restored 
health  convince  me  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  sick- 
ness, sin,  evil,  and  all  the  other  kindred  woes  that  af- 
fect mankind.  I  am  arguing  from  a  practical  stand- 
point. Look  on  all  sides,  and  you  will  see  your  state- 
ments refuted.  You  say  there  is  no  pain.  Prick  your- 
self with  a  pin,  and  then  if  you  do  not  feel  pain— well, 
I  will  believe  you." 

1 '  You  put  a  false  interpretation  on  my  words  and  fail 
to  grasp  their  true  meaning,"  patiently  replied  his  wife. 
"Mrs.  Eddy  shows  us  that  there  is  no  reality  in  pain, 
for  if  pain  were  Real  it  would  last  forever,  and  yet  you 
must  admit  that  pain  will  vanish.  Anything  that  is  real 
is  everlasting;  anything  that  is  not  real  is  ephemeral, 
and  not  founded  on  Truth.  A  pain  will  not  last  forever, 
therefore  it  cannot  be  founded  on  reality,  which  is  eter- 
nal. We  must  silence  the  lie  of  material  senses  with 
the  Truth  of  spiritual  sense,  then  the  false  belief  will 
cease.  The  Science  of  Mind  denies  the  error  of  sensa- 
tion in  matter,  and  heals  with  Truth. ' ' 

She  paused,  glancing  over  the  moonlit  sea  through 
which  the  yacht  ploughed  steadily,  and  then  toward 

70 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


the  salon  skylight,  from  which  came  sounds  of  merri- 
ment from  their  friends,  who,  while  they  were  sympa 
thetic  and  affectionate,  yet  were  young  and  happy,  en- 
joying to  the  full  the  beauties  of  the  Southern  seas  and 
the  pleasure  of  the  cruise. 

Mrs.  Doure  observed  that  her  husband  had  followed 
her  words  closely,  so  she  resumed:  "You  must  learn, 
Herbert,  that  the  physical  senses  deceive  one.  For  in- 
stance, to  all  appearance  the  beautiful  sunset  which  we 
watched  an  hour  ago  was  caused  by  the  sun  sinking  in 
the  ocean  at  the  edge  of  the  horizon,  while  the  earth  re- 
mained stationary;  yet  we  know  that  the  sun  was  sta- 
tionary while  the  earth  revolved,  although  in  this  case 
our  knowledge  directly  contradicts  the  testimony  of 
the  senses.  What  is  the  answer?  Why,  our  physical 
senses  have  deceived  us.  If  they  can  deceive  us  in  one 
thing,  why  not  in  another?  This  shows  that  they  are 
not  infallible ;  so  we  should  never  condemn  a  statement, 
no  matter  how  strange  or  improbable  it  may  at  first 
appear,  until  we  have  weighed  it  and  proved  that  it  is 
either  true  or  false,  for  it  must  be  one  or  the  other — 
there  is  no  half-way  measure." 

Mrs.  Doure 's  voice  was  low  and  sweet,  and  both  her 
husband  and  Camille  listened  attentively,  Doure  evi- 
dently following  the  argument  closely.  Mrs.  Doure 
paused  a  moment,  and,  as  her  husband  did  not  speak, 
she  continued:  "The  nothingness  of  evil  is  explained  by 
the  statement  that  if  God,  Good,  is  real,  then  Evil,  the 
opposite  of  God,  is  unreal,  and  takes  to  itself  that  guise 
of  reality  when  it  is  in  fact  nothing.  Evil  can  only  seem 
to  be  real  by  giving  reality  to  the  unreal,  which  is  an 

71 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


impossibility.  Man  is  the  reflection  of  this  infinite 
power  of  Good;  and  as  there  is  no  evil  in  Good,  there 
can  be  no  evil  in  man.  The  errors  we  see  on  every 
hand  have  no  foundation  in  fact ;  they  are  false  beliefs 
and  must  vanish  into  the  nothingness  whence  they 
came.  But  we  must  learn  their  unreality,  and  learn  to 
know  the  right;  otherwise  these  errors  seem  to  our 
mortal  senses  to  be  endowed  with  reality,  and  appear 
to  have  the  mastery  of  us.  The  opposite,  however,  is 
the  case.  We  have  the  mastery,  for  we  reflect  God, 
Good.  Love  is  the  only  power,  and  it  can  smooth  every 
pathway.  It  is  Infinite  Wisdom  that  has  led  us  to  seek 
for  Esther,  and  you  will  find  that  'sorrow  will  be  turned 
into  joy/  ' 

Long  after  the  ladies  had  retired  to  their  state- 
rooms, Doure  walked  the  deck,  pondering  the  serious 
problems  confronting  him.  That  there  was  even  the  re- 
motest possibility  of  finding  his  little  daughter,  his 
personal  judgment  doubted.  The  fact  that  only  one 
boat-load  of  people  had  been  saved  from  the  wreck 
seemed  ample  proof  that  the  child  must  have  perished. 
In  his  heart  he  considered  the  present  trip  a  blind  ef- 
fort to  leave  no  stone  unturned  to  solve  a  veiled  mys- 
tery, even  though  the  inner  consciousness  tells  one  that 
the  effort  is  futile,  and  the  sterner  common  sense  cries 
out  against  it.  He  censured  himself  for  leaving  his  bus- 
iness at  a  critical  time,  realizing  that  the  failure  to  se- 
cure the  railroad  concession  meant  practically  bank- 
ruptcy, and  he  felt  too  old  to  start  in  anew  the  battle 
of  life  with  money  as  the  goal.  Problems  without  a 
ready  solution  chased  themselves  through  his  head  with 

72 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


wearying  persistence  until  words  of  spiritual  meaning, 
spoken  by  his  wife,  would  recur  to  him,  and  he  fell 
to  wondering  whether  or  not  there  was  any  truth  in  the 
statement  that  Good  was  stronger  than  evil,  and  if  this 
strange  power,  of  which  the  gentle  members  of  his 
family  talked,  could  straighten  out  the  tangled  skein 
of  his  life.  Another  bewildering  thought  was  Dr.  Well- 
ingford's  statement  that  he  would  declare  "the  Truth" 
through  absent  treatments.  As  he  walked  a  sense  of 
peace  replaced  the  troubled  thoughts,  and  after  a 
glance  at  the  moonlit  water  he  went  below. 

The  plan  of  the  rescuing  party  was  to  head  the  yacht 
for  the  spot  where  the  ill-fated  liner  went  down  and 
from  there  sail  in  ever-widening  circles  with  the  hope 
that  some  survivor  might  be  found  clinging  to  a  bit  of 
wreckage,  or  some  other  boat  than  the  one  picked  up 
might  have  got  away  from  the  vessel  and  not  been  seen 
by  the  rescuing  ship.  Cases  were  cited  where  men  and 
women  had  lived  for  many  days  on  bits  of  wreckage 
from  their  lost  ship,  and  there  was  a  bare  possibility 
that  a  second  boat  had  left  the  Merving  Hall.  Neither 
Doure  nor  the  captain  of  the  yacht  had  any  faith  in 
the  chance,  but  it  was  a  chance,  and  the  belief  of  the 
ladies  that  the  recovery  of  Esther  would  be  the  result 
of  the  cruise  had  often  buoyed  Doure 's  spirits  when 
they  were  at  their  lowest  ebb.  There  was  a  soothing 
sweetness  to  his  wife's  voice  as  she  read  and  sang  to 
him.  The  melodious  voice  seemed  to  quiet  his  troubled 
spirit,  and  in  the  last  few  days  they  had  been  drawn 
closer  together  than  at  any  time  since  their  courtship 


73 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


days,  not  so  much  by  the  bond  of  sorrow  for  the  loss  of 
their  little  daughter  as  by  some  strange  power  which 
softened  and  united  their  natures  in  tender  bonds,  and 
seemed  to  give  them  both  a  clearer  outlook,  making 
each  stronger  for  the  other.  Doure  had  been  free  from 
his  neuralgic  pains,  and  despite  his  recurring  anxieties 
he  seemed  to  feel  a  strange  lightness  of  spirit.  He  had 
felt  better  physically  and  mentally  since  starting  on 
their  cruise,  and  when  Mrs.  Doure  and  Camille  read 
their  daily  lesson  from  the  Bible  and  Science  and  Health 
with  the  aid  of  the  quarterly,  he  listened  less  moodily 
and  without  the  aversion  to  what  he  had  previously 
termed  "this  new  cult,"  and  which  he  had  formerly 
felt.  The  possibility  that  there  might  be  truth  in  what 
he  heard  stirred  his  consciousness,  although  it  made 
him  wonder  at  what  he  termed  his  own  credulousness 
and  he  was  surprised  at  his  growing  interest  in  the  sub- 
ject. Formerly  he  had  disliked  to  hear  his  wife  dis- 
cussing Christian  Science ;  now  he  was  interested,  gain- 
ing a  strange  strength  and  sense  of  calm  from  the 
words,  although  he  made  no  pretense  of  grasping  their 
meaning.  The  case  of  Dr.  Wellingford  puzzled  him, 
and  when  by  chance  he  picked  up  a  Christian  Science 
Sentinel  and  read  testimonials  of  wonderful  healing, 
his  thoughts  turned  in  a  new  direction.  Possibly  they 
were  right. 

The  days  on  the  yacht  had  passed  peacefully,  with 
the  hours  taken  up  by  his  wife  and  her  sister  in  more 
earnest  study  of  their  text  book,  while  he  wondered  at 
the  feverish  unrest  that  had  previously  bound  him. 
Their  friends  were  congenial  and  the  time  passed  pleas- 

74 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


antly.  All  on  board  wondered  at  the  calm  faces  of 
Mrs.  Doure  and  her  sister,  and  the  old  skipper  mental- 
ly set  the  mother  and  aunt  down  as  heartless,  without 
any  sorrow  over  the  tragic  loss  of  a  beautiful  child,  as 
never  a  word  of  despair  was  heard  from  them ;  never  a 
moan  of  discouragement,  but  always  a  solemn,  faithful 
hope  and  confidence  in  the  all-powerful  protection  of 
Omnipotent  Love.  The  spirit  of  Peace  seemed  to  enfold 
the  yacht  and  its  members  and  to  bear  them  on  invisi- 
ble wings  to  the  triumphant  proof  of  Infinite,  Ever- 
present  Love.  Even  the  captain  felt  a  softening  thrill 
and  a  rnist  dimmed  his  eye,  and  the  men  rested  from 
their  duties  or  recreation  when,  at  the  shimmering  twi- 
light hour,  the  ladies  sitting  on  deck  would  sing  one 
of  the  wonderful  hymns  written  by  the  leader  of  the 
Christian  Science  Church.  A  sense  of  peace  seemed  to 
enfold  the  yacht,  and  all  on  board  felt  the  harmony 
that  dissolved  the  error-clouds  of  discord. 


75 


In  the  Typhoon's  Grip. 


CHAPTEE  VII. 

DASH  OF  spray  and  an  unusually  heavy  pitch  of 
the  raft  awakened  Bentley,  and  he  sat  up,  clutch- 
ing at  the  guard  ropes  to  keep  from  being  rolled 
overboard.  The  wind  blew  with  a  refreshing  coolness, 
but  the  sea  had  risen  and  the  raft  was  already  washed 
by  the  breaking  caps  of  the  seas.  The  moon  hung  low, 
but  even  as  Bentley  looked  a  black  wall  of  clouds 
spread  over  the  sky  with  the  speed  of  a  racehorse,  blot- 
ting out  the  stars  and  covering  all  like  a  pall  flung  from 
a  giant  hand.  The  wind  increased.  The  little  sail 
rigged  to  the  oar  which  Bentley  had  used  more  as  a 
sunshade  for  the  child  than  for  means  of  making  the 
raft  move,  was  whipped  from  its  lashings  by  the  force 
of  the  gale,  for  gale  it  now  was,  while  the  tops  of  the 
big  seas  were  snatched  up  and  flung  along  in  a  sheet  of 
flying  spume.  Bentley  quickly  lashed  the  child  to  the 
raft  and  made  himself  secure  in  the  same  way,  drawing 
a  tarpaulin  over  both  to  keep  off  the  spray  which  now 
swept  over  the  castaways  in  a  smothering  cloud. 

"It's  starting  to  blow  pretty  hard;  one  of  these  sud- 
den tropical  hurricanes  and  we'll  have  to  lie  quiet,"  he 
told  Esther.  "If  it  starts  to  rain  there's  a  chance  to 
get  some  water.  I  don't  think  the  raft  will  capsize,  al- 
though it  is  possible  with  such  a  sudden  wild  sea  as 
this.  But  keep  up  your  courage.  This  gale  may  blow 


76 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


us  on  some  island,  but  that's  a  long  chance,  and  I  don't 
suppose  there's  much  use  in  counting  on  it." 

Esther  leaned  her  face  closer  to  his  in  order  to  be 
heard  above  the  roar  of  the  wind  and  the  surge  of 
the  seas,  and  said :  ' '  We  need  not  fear.  Love  will  not 
forsake  us."  She  cuddled  closer  and  lay  quiet,  seem- 
ingly unconscious  of  the  wild  turmoil  of  sea  and  wind 
which  was  going  on  all  around  them. 

The  hurricane  increased  and  the  raft  was  swept  by 
the  crest  of  almost  every  billow.  At  times  it  seemed 
to  poise  on  the  top  of  a  gigantic  wave,  only  to  slide 
down  into  the  succeeding  gully  with  a  sickening  sensa- 
tion that  made  Bentley  wonder  if  they  would  ever  come 
to  the  surface  again.  The  little  girl's  faith  never  for  an 
instant  wavered.  Chilled  and  drenched  by  the  storm, 
she  seemed  oblivious  to  the  terrors  of  the  tempest,  and 
Bentley  felt  that  in  her  strange  way  she  was  claiming 
what  she  termed  ' '  the  Truth ' '  for  their  deliverance,  and 
in  some  vague  way  his  hope  revived. 

Throughout  the  remaining  hours  of  the  night  the  hur- 
ricane blew  with  undiminished  force,  but  with  the 
breaking  of  day  the  wind  went  down  and  the  rain  came 
in  torrents,  beating  down  the  seas  and  bringing  a  re- 
newing sense  of  life  to  the  man  and  child.  It  was  a 
simple  matter  for  Bentley  to  stretch  the  tarpaulin  and 
let  the  rain  fill  the  little  water  keg.  The  water  tasted 
sweet  and  fresh  and  they  both  drank  freely  of  it,  and 
allowed  the  torrents  to  pour  on  their  head  and  face, 
washing  away  the  salt  brine  and  leaving  a  pleasant  ex- 
hilaration. 

"Just  in  time,  Esther,"  said  Bentley,  replacing  the 

77 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


top  of  the  keg  and  smiling  at  his  little  companion  whose 
bright  face  with  the  damp  hair  was  turned  toward  him, 
watching  with  interest  the  filling  and  corking  of  the 
keg.  "Another  day  in  this  blazing  sun  without  water 
would  have  finished  us  both ;  do  you  realize  that  ?  But 
I  suppose  you  will  say  that  God  sent  the  rain  to  save 
our  lives." 

'  Esther  nodded  her  head  in  her  odd  little  manner, 
used  when  she  wished  to  emphasize  her  remarks.  * l  Un- 
cle Tom,"  she  said,  for  he  had  asked  her  to  address  him 
by  that  name,  "I  knew  all  along  that  we  would  be 
saved.  No,  we  are  not  off  the  raft  yet,  but  we  will  be. 
We  needed  water  and  it  came  to  us.  Don't  you  under- 
stand now  that  God  will  not  let  us  suffer  if  we  claim  the 
help  that  is  always  ours?  Haven't  I  been  telling  you 
this  ever  since  the  shipwreck?  Weren't  we  saved  from 
the  steamer  when  many  people  lost  their  lives,  and 
haven't  we  been  protected  on  this  raft?  We  will  be 
rescued  and  returned  to  our  homes,  and  it  will  all  be 
due  to  God.  Now  you  just  see  if  we  aren't." 

"Maybe  you're  right  child,  but  let's  wait  and  see 
how  things  turn  out." 

It  was  at  the  closing  of  the  following  day,  when 
Bentley  was  dozing  in  the  shade  of  the  small  tarpaulin 
which  he  had  again  rigged  up,  that  he  was  brought  to 
his  feet  by  Esther  excitedly  crying: 

"Uncle  Tom!  Oh,  Uncle  Tom,  there's  a  sail  over 
there,"  pointing  across  the  expanse  of  water.  A  small 
patch  of  brownish  white  rose  and  fell  on  the  face  of  the 
ocean.  It  was  indeed  a  sail.  Help  appeared  to  be  near. 


78 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


Bentley  lost  no  time  in  kindling  a  small  fire  in  his  im- 
provised stove  from  pieces  of  the  remaining  oar,  and 
wetting  the  chips  to  creat  a  black  smoke.  Together  they 
watched  the  patch  of  brown,  and  soon  saw  that  it  was 
approaching. 

"You  see/'  said  Esther,  "that  Divine  Love  has  made 
another  demonstration,  and  now  we  are  off  this  raft." 

"Maybe  you  are  right,  but  that  patch  of  sail  looks  to 
me  like  a  native  canoe,  and  the  natives  of  this  region 
are  none  too  hospitable.  In  fact  some  of  the  islands 
in  these  seas  are  inhabited  by  cannibals,  and  we  must  be 
careful  not  to  jump  from  the  frying  pan  into  the  fire, 
and  Bentley  anxiously  watched  the  brown  spot,  now 
outlined  in  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun. 

"Haven't  I  told  you  that  Divine  Love  is  all  around  us 
and  that  no  harm  can  befall  those  who  claim  the  pro- 
tection that  is  theirs?  No  matter  who  the  people  are 
in  that  boat  they  will  help  us.  Just  know  that  God 
love  us  and  everything  will  always  be  all  right,"  and 
Esther  waived  her  little  jacket  at  the  speck  of  sail. 

Bentley  was  thoughtful  for  a  few  moments.  "I'm 
beginning  to  believe  what  you  say,  Esther,  and  if  we 
get  ashore  I'm  going  to  look  into  your  religion,  for  it 
is  the  only  one  that  seems  to  be  founded  on  facts.  Most 
churches  promise  a  reward  in  the  next  world,  but  I 
have  always  gone  on  the  principle  that  a  bird  in  the 
hand  is  worth  two  in  the  bush." 

"Don't  you  remember  reading  yesterday  that  *  Heav- 
en is  within  us'?  Oh,  Uncle  Tom,  you  seem  so  awfully 
dull!" 


79 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


Bentley  laughed  and  turned  to  watch  the  approach 
of  the  canoe,  for  canoe  it  now  was  seen  to  be.  He  felt 
some  trepidation.  The  faces  of  the  natives  that  filled 
it  caused  him  a  feeling  of  dismay,  for  from  his  for- 
mer trip  through  the  South  Sea  Islands  he  easily 
recognized  them  as  being  from  the  jungles  of  the 
northern  Ladrones,  a  fierce,  wild  race,  little  known  to 
the  white  inhabitants  of  the  more  frequented  places. 
They  were  reputed  to  be  cannibals.  Yet  the  savage 
canoe  was  better  than  the  raft  and  he  remembered  that 
he  still  had  his  revolver  if  the  worst  came  to  the  worst. 
The  brown  bodies  of  the  natives  glistened  in  the  rays 
of  the  setting  sun,  and  their  rude  ornaments  added  a 
charm  to  the  savage  picture  they  presented.  They 
gazed  in  unconcealed  wonder  at  the  man  and  the  little 
golden-haired  child  alone  on  the  tiny  raft,  and  crowded 
curiously  around  them  as  they  climbed  into  the  big 
canoe. 

With  the  aid  of  signs  and  the  few  words  of  the  na- 
tive dialect  that  he  knew,  Bentley  soon  learned  that  the 
canoe  had  been  blown  far  out  to  sea  by  the  recent  hur- 
ricane, and  he  wondered  how  they  had  succeeded  in 
weathering  the  storm.  They  were,  now  trying  to  sail 
back  to  their  island,  and  while  they  knew  the  general 
direction,  they  had  no  exact  knowledge  as  to  how  far 
away  it  lay,  although  judging  from  the  force  of  the 
wind  and  general  drift,  Bentley  roughly  calculated  that 
they  must  be  close  to  two  hundred  miles  off  shore.  It 
was  one  of  the  large  war  canoes,  and  Bentley  observed 
that  the  natives  were  all  armed,  and  that  several  were 
nursing  wounds.  He  surmised  that  the  tribe  had  at- 

80 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


tempted  an  attack  on  some  neighboring  island,  and, 
being  repulsed,  had  put  to  sea,  only  to  be  caught  in  the 
hurricane  and  blown  far  off  their  course. 

Esther  was  a  study  to  the  natives.  It  was  seldom 
that  they  had  seen  a  white  man,  as  the  trading  schoon- 
ers came  but  infrequently  and  most  of  them  were 
manned  by  Chinese,  with  an  occasional  white  captain. 
A  white  woman  had  never  visited  their  remote  island, 
and  the  little  girl  with  her  golden  hair  and  blue  eyes 
was  an  ever-increasing  source  of  wonder  to  the  brown- 
skinned  crew  of  the  great  canoe.  They  were  interest- 
ing to  Esther,  but  she  expressed  no  fear,  gazing  gently 
at  the  savages  and  turning  to  Bentley  to  murmur: 
"They  are  God's  children." 

The  wind,  which  was  abeam,  freshened  and  the 
canoe  tore  through  the  water  at  a  speed  that  astounded 
Bentley,  familiar  as  he  was  with  the  fast-sailing  native 
boats.  Cocoanuts  in  plenty  were  stowed  throughout 
the  canoe,  and  Bentley  and  Esther  had  a  sufficient  meal 
despite  their  strange  surroundings  and  the  scrutinizing 
faces  of  the  natives.  When  night  fell,  Esther  went 
peacefully  to  sleep,  leaning  on  Bentley 's  shoulder,  al- 
though he  remained  anxiously  awake,  puzzling  over  the 
new  problem  that  now  confronted  them;  but  the 
thought  of  the  child's  wonderful  trust  and  the  fact 
that  they  had  been  miraculously  guarded  through  so 
many  dangers  caused  a  gentle  peace  to  replace  his  fears 
and  finally  he,  too,  slept. 

Knot  after  knot  was  reeled  off  and  before  the  close 
of  the  following  day  a  dark  spot  on  the  horizon  was 
discernible.  This  gradually  grew  larger  until  the  top 

81 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


of  a  mountain  was  plainly  seen.  Esther  manifested  no 
anxiety,  but  Bentley's  fears  increased  as  he  listened  to 
the  jabbering  of  the  natives  and  noted  the  looks  cast  in 
their  direction.  Plainly  the  savages  were  discussing  his 
case  and  the  disposition  of  the  child,  and  he  prepared 
for  trouble  when  they  landed.  He  was  confident,  how- 
ever, that  a  council  of  war  would  be  held  to  decide  on 
their  fate,  and  until  this  was  done  they  would  be  safe 
from  violence.  In  the  meantime  something  might  arise 
that  would  enable  them  to  escape.  He  remembered 
that  they  had  been  saved  from  the  wreck,  and  in  a 
strange  way  had  been  rescued  from  the  raft,  and  uncon- 
sciously he  thought  of  the  Power  in  which  the  child 
reverently  trusted,  and  wondered  if  the  demonstration 
of  help  and  protection  would  be  continued.  "She  is 
always  'declaring  the  Truth'  for  us,  whatever  that  is. 
What  if  she  is  right  and  there  is  a  Divine  Power  guid- 
ing us?"  he  mused.  "It  certainly  seems  as  though  we 
had  been  divinely  protected ;  otherwise  we  never  could 
have  gone  through  so  many  dangerous  experiences,  and 
reached  shore  safely,  as  we  have  fair  prospects  of  do- 
ing. What  marvelous  events!  The  wreck;  the  storm; 
the  rain ;  and  then  this  canoe.  It  is  beyond  human  un- 
derstanding ! ' ' 

The  big  canoe  cut  through  the  line  of  white  surf  and 
slid  into  a  pretty,  sheltered  cove  to  a  sloping,  white- 
sand  beach  on  which  an  excited  crowd  of  natives  gath- 
ered to  welcome  the  returned  warriors.  Native  women 
in  their  odd  garb  of  grass-woven  dress,  burly  fighting 
men  and  little  dark-hued  children,  pretty  in  spite  of 
color,  as  well  as  pets  of  various  kind,  crowded  around 

82 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


the  white  man  and  girl,  regarding  them  with  astonish- 
ment. Palms  and  thickets,  a  tropical  growth  of  vines 
and  flowers,  grew  in  lavish  profusion  to  the  water's 
edge,  and  the  two  castaways  were  conducted  along  a 
trail  banked  on  either  side  with  the  sweet-scented  ver- 
dure, to  the  native  village,  where  more  men  and  women 
and  children  gathered  to  stare  at  them  in  wonder.  But 
an  air  of  gloom  and  sadness  seemed  to  hang  over  the 
village,  and  the  natives  spoke  in  hushed  voices  and 
many  remained  seated  in  postures  expressing  woe. 
Bentley  soon  learned  that  the  chief  was  dying,  and 
his  people  mourned.  The  witch  doctors  had  worked 
their  spells  and  incantations  in  vain,  and  the  famous 
old  warrior  was  fast  sinking  to  his  last  rest.  Not  even 
the  interest  created  by  the  advent  of  the  white  man  and 
child  could  awaken  the  natives  from  the  lethargy  of 
their  grief,  for  the  old  chief  was  beloved,  and  his  death 
was  now  expected  shortly. 

Bentley  and  Esther  were  lodged  in  a  pretty  little 
thatched  hut  on'  one  edge  of  the  village,  which  over- 
looked the  mass  of  white  surf  that  roared  and  boomed 
on  the  sands  as  the  seas  swept  in  from  the  stretch  of 
blue  water  extending  in  a  soft  line  to  the  clear  horizon 
beyond.  An  aged  crone  brought  them  food  in  a  woven 
basket  of  odd  design,  composed  of  tropical  fruits  and 
dried  fish.  A  tiny  camp  fire,  which  Bentley  lighted  in 
front  of  the  hut,  added  a  picturesque  touch  to  the 
strange  scene,  as  he  and  Esther,  after  their  repast,  for 
they  felt  weary  and  hungry,  sat  beside  it.  The  earth 
was  soft  and  warm,  and  gave  the  body  a  delicious  sen- 
sation after  the  cramped  quarters  on  the  raft  for  so 

83 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


many  days,  and  the  last  stage  of  the  long  journey  in 
the  canoe  with  the  natives.  The  flowers  and  trees  ex 
haled  a  delicious  perfume,  while  the  rumble  of  the 
surf  played  a  soft  accompaniment  to  Esther's  voice  as 
she  earnestly  read  the  lesson  by  the  light  of  the  tiny 
fire.  The  jungle  loomed  dark,  with  here  and  there  a 
twisted  creeper,  outlined  by  the  flickering  light  of 
the  fire,  swinging  and  swaying  with  a  lifelike  move- 
ment, while  faintly  came  the  sounds  of  sorrow  from 
the  village.  It  was  delightful  and  restful  to  be  ashore, 
but  in  Bentley's  mind  dark  pictures  of  the  morrow 
formed  themselves  unconsciously.  That  the  natives 
were  cannibals,  or  little  better,  he  was  sure,  and  that 
their  fate  hung  in  the  balance  seemed  a  gloomy  fact. 
It  was  even  possible  that  the  natives  might  attempt  to 
kill  them  as  a  sacrifice  to  their  heathen  gods  in  the 
hope  of  prolonging  their  chief's  life  in  this  manner. 
True,  he  might  make  a  hard  battle  for  life,  but  what 
could  one  man  do  against  a  whole  village  of  sav- 
ages, who  would  fight  with  the  fanatic  valor  of  the 
Moslems?  They  were  saved  from  the  sea  and  yet  the 
future  looked  blacker  than  at  any  time  since  the  wreck. 
Drowning  was  infinitely  preferable  to  being  the  vic- 
tims of  cannibals.  Bentley's  brows  were  drawn  to- 
gether in  his  old  troubled  scowl;  the  scowl  which  for 
some  time  had  been  banished  from  his  face  by  the  gen- 
tle teachings  of  his  little  companion.  But  now  the  old 
beliefs  arose  and  he  gazed  at  the  fire,  lost  in  brooding 
thought,  with  his  old,  unhappy,  cynical  expression.  Fi- 
nally he  became  conscious  of  being  watched,  and  looked 
up  into  the  smiling,  loving  face  of  Esther. 

84 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


"Are  you  conjuring  up  bugaboos  again,  Uncle  Tom?" 
she  gently  questioned.  "Don't  you  know  yet  that  we 
have  nothing  to  fear?  Oh,  my!"  with  a  deprecatory 
shake  of  her  golden  head,  "how  hard  it  is  for  you  to 
understand  something  that  is  so  clear!  Don't  worry, 
dear  Uncle  Tom,  just  trust  in  the  only  Ever-Present 
Power,  and  nothing  but  Harmony  can  come  to  us." 

She  opened  her  Science  and  Health  and  read  to  Bent- 
ley,  while  a  few  natives  squatted  around  watching  the 
strangers  wonderingly.  When  Esther  closed  the  book, 
she  shut  her  eyes,  and  was  silent  for  a  few  moments, 
then  she  laid  her  head  on  the  matting  which  Bentley 
had  spread  over  a  pillow  of  flowers,  and  with  a  glance 
the  silvery  splendor  of  the  star-bespangled  heavens 
drowsily  murmured,  "God  is  Love,'  and  was  enfolded 
in  soft  slumber. 

Bentley  lay  down.  The  warm  night  air  soothed  him. 
A  sense  of  peace  and  security,  a  feeling  that  Wisdom 
and  Intelligence  were  guarding  them  and  would  pro- 
tect them,  alone  and  helpless  as  they  were  on  the  lonely 
cannibal  island,  enabled  him  to  seek  rest.  He  recalled 
the  child's  words  regarding  the  ever-presence  of  Divine 
Protection,  and  the  great  Heart  of  Love  heard  his  men- 
tal call,  and  he  trustingly  slept. 


85 


A  Tropical  Hurricane, 


CHAPTEE  VIII. 

sat  in  the  chart  room  of  the  Star  of  the 
East  smoking  a  cigar  and  watching  Captain  Sley 

who  was  engaged  in  working  out  the  yacht's 
position  from  the  sight  he  had  just  taken.  He  thought- 
fully eyed  the  long  column  of  figures  and  the  sheets 
covered  with  the  complicated  calculation,  and  as  the 
skipper  checked  off  his  latitude  and  longitude,  and 
paused  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  Doure  remarked:  "I  sup- 
pose all  of  that  is  as  clear  to  you  as  the  use  of  a  city 
directory  would  be  to  me  in  finding  a  locality  in  San 
Francisco. " 

" Exactly, "  replied  the  Captain.  "Nautical  science 
has  become  exact,  and  a  shipmaster  nowadays,  aided 
as  he  is  with  the  latest  and  most  improved  instruments, 
is  never  at  a  loss  for  his  position.  In  fact,  the  average 
liner  sails  with  railroad  regularity.  The  sextant  and 
chronometer  are,  of  course,  our  chief  dependence,  but 
one  of  the  greatest  aids  to  the  seafaring  man  is  the 
barometer,  and  by  the  way,  I  don't  like  the  looks  of  it. 
The  glass  has  been  falling  since  early  morning,  and  it 
nows  registers  only  28.  Yes,  I  know,  it  looks  like  a 
beautiful  day  and  for  that  matter  it  is,  but  at  the  same 
time  it's  going  to  blow  like  Old  Harry;  but  luckily, 
the  yacht  is  in  good  condition  and  everything  is  ship- 
shape both  fore  and  aft." 

86 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


" Where  are  we  now,  captain?  Have  we  reached  the 
locality  of  the  collision  ?" 

According  to  the  position  given  by  the  ship  which 
picked  up  the  survivors  of  the  Merving  Hall  we  are 
now  approximately  at  the  place  where  the  crash  oc- 
curred," answered  Captain  Sley.  "Shall  we  have 
a  look  around  from  the  bridge?" 

Together  they  left  the  chart  room,  Doure  glancing 
over  the  placid  sea  with  a  sad  expression.  "With  all 
your  nautical  aids  and  wonderful  instruments  you  can- 
not prevent  accidents  or  sudden  death,"  he  remarked, 
his  thoughts  traveling  to  the  tragedy  in  which  his  child 
had  been  lost. 

"No,  there  is  no  guarding  against  such  calamities. 
We  can  only  do  our  duty  when  such  accidents  hap- 
pen," and  the  old  captain  looked  out  over  the  broad 
expanse  with  a  troubled  air,  glancing  thoughtfully  at 
the  barometer  on  the  bridge.  He  shook  his  head  grave- 
ly and  conferred  for  a  few  moments  with  the  officer 
on  watch  before  again  joining  Doure. 

"So  far  there  has  been  no  sign  of  a  single  piece  of 
wreckage,  though  the  closest  watch  has  been  kept 
as  you  know,"  he  resumed.  "The  drift  in  these  seas 
is  supposed  to  be  south,  but  the  Pacific  is,  to  a  great  ex- 
tent, an  unknown  quantity.  The  possibility  that  some- 
one might  be  clinging  to  a  bit  of  wreckage  or  that 
some  other  boat  might  have  got  away  from  the  steam- 
er is  at  best  very  remote,  as  I  told  you  in  the  beginning, 
although  such  things  have  happened  before.  But  un- 
less they  were  well  supplied  with  water  and  food  I 
don't  think  it  would  have  been  possible  for  people  to 

87 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


live  on  a  raft  or  in  an  open  boat  this  long.  From  the 
looks  of  the  barometer  there  is  a  storm  coming  up 
which  will  destroy  any  possibility  that  even  a  sin- 
gle soul  could  have  been  saved  except  the  number 
picked  up  the  day  following  the  crash.  I  fear,  Mr. 
Doure,  that  you  must  abandon  any  hope  that  your 
child  has  escaped.  In  the  hurricane  which  the  glass 
tells  us  is  approaching,  it  will  test  the  strength  of  a 
good-sized  vessel,  much  less  a  boat  or  raft.  I  do  not 
want  to  alarm  you,  as  I  feel  that  the  yacht  can  weath- 
er any  storm  that  will  be  encountered  in  these  or  any 
other  seas,  but  it  will  be  a  hard  struggle.  You  had 
better  warn  the  ladies  that  a  hurricane  is  coming  and 
that  they  will  have  to  remain  below." 

Captain  Sley  turned  to  consult  with  his  chief  officer, 
who  had  joined  him,  and  together  they  bent  over  the 
barometer,  while  Doure  walked  aft.  Camille  was  seat- 
ed in  the  shade  of  one  of  the  deck  awnings,  working 
over  a  small  miniature  in  which  sea  and  sky  blended 
in  exquisite  tints,  while  a  stormy  petrel  winged  its  way 
across  the  foreground.  Mrs.  Doure  came  from  the 
cabin  and  stood  admiring  her  sister's  work.  Camille 
laid  aside  her  brushes  and  palate  and  gazed  out  over 
the  water  with  sad  intensity.  Mrs.  Doure  laid  her 
hand  affectionately  on  her  beautiful  young  sister's 
shoulder.  ' '  It 's  an  exquisite  picture,  Camille ;  such  ten- 
der, glowing  coloring;  you  have  caught  the  expression 
of  the  sea  itself.  Your  work  shows  that  you  have  risen 
above  material  sorrow  and  have  made  a  demonstration 
over  seeming  grief.  It  comes  to  me  that  this  cloud  will 
be  lifted  from  your  life.  It  is  only  an  illusion  of  error 

ss 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


which  Truth  can  remove.  It  is  possible  that  Tom  Bent- 
ley  may  have  been  among  the  survivors.  He  was  a 
strong,  resolute  and  resourceful  man." 

"No,  Annie,  I  have  no  such  hope.  The  papers  pub- 
lished his  name  in  the  list  of  the  lost.  They  said  he  was 
a  loss  to  the  intellectual  world,  and  that  many  would 
mourn  the  brilliant  man  so  suddenly  and  tragically 
cut  down. ' ' 

Camille  leaned  her  head  against  her  sister's  shoul- 
der. Mrs.  Doure  smoothed  the  golden  locks  for  a  mo- 
ment before  she  softly  said:  "  'The  Lord  on  high  is 
mightier  than  the  noise  of  many  waters ;  yea,  than  the 
mighty  waves  of  the  sea.'  'God  pours  the  riches  of  his 
love  into  the  understanding  and  affection,  giving  us 
strength  according  to  our  day/  But  here  comes  Her- 
bert. What  is  it,  dear?" 

"Bad  news,  Annie.  The  captain  tells  me  that  a 
storm  of  unusual  severity  is  approaching ;  in  fact,  from 
what  I  gather  it  may  be  a  typhoon,  and  he  has  given 
orders  that  every  one  must  stay  below,  as  he  believes  it 
will  come  before  long.  These  tropical  hurricanes  spring 
up  with  such  surprising  rapidity  that  they  strike  almost 
without  warning.  So  far  the  only  indication  of  the 
coming  tempest  has  been  given  by  the  barometer,  but 
we  had  better  go  inside." 

They  entered  the  cabin  where  their  friends,  the  two 
married  couples,  were  playing  cards,  and  briefly  in- 
formed them  of  the  captain's  warning.  All  manifested 
a  degree  of  nervousness  with  the  exception  of  Mrs. 
Doure  and  her  sister,  who,  although  pale,  were  calm 
and  collected.  The  captain  entered  on  a  tour  of  in- 

89 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


spection.  His  weather-beaten  face  was  mask-like,  ex- 
pressing nothing,  but  the  sharpness  of  his  commands  to 
the  men  to  see  that  all  was  secure,  and  his  brief  instruc- 
tions that  no  one  must  attempt  to  leave  the  cabin  as  the 
decks  would  shortly  be  flooded,  increased  the  feeling  of 
uneasiness.  There  was,  however,  a  strength  in  the  cap- 
tain which  carried  a  feeeling  of  security,  and  he  curtly 
assured  the  ladies  that  the  yacht  was  safe,  although,  if 
the  hurricane  proved  as  severe  as  he  expected,  it  would 
pitch  and  roll  in  a  manner  to  cause  much  alarm,  but 
that  they  should  not  be  afraid. 

'  *  This  hurricane  will  destroy  the  last  hope  of  finding 
Esther,"  said  Doure  bending  over  his  wife  so  that  his 
words  would  not  carry  to  the  other  members  of  the  par- 
ty grouped  around  the  salon.  "Captain  Sley  tells  me 
that  no  boat  or  raft  could  possibly  live  through  it,  so  it 
seems  that  our  trip  will  have  been  in  vain." 

"God  works  in  a  mysterious  manner,  and  we  cannot 
fathom  his  methods,  except  to  know  that  they  are  Good, 
and  that  everything  Good  is  ours.  I  am  as  convinced 
now  that  we  will  eventually  find  Esther  as  I  was  at  first. 
We  are  protected  by  Divine  Love,  and  so  is  Esther. 
Who  knows  but  that  this  typhoon  may  in  some  strange 
manner  lead  us  to  her?"  and  she  smiled  lovingly  at  the 
anxious  face  of  her  husband. 

Doure  shook  his  head.  Such  faith  was  sublime  but 
impractical,  according  to  his  way  of  thinking,  and  even 
savored  a  trifle  of  the  fanatical  in  face  of  the  facts  as  he 
saw  them.  Excusing  himself  to  the  rest  of  the  party, 
and  promising  to  return  with  news  of  the  storm's  ap- 


90 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


proach,  he  left  the  cabin  and  joined  the  captain  on  the 
bridge.  Captain  Sley's  face  was  unusually  grave  and 
his  commands  to  the  sailors  who  were  completing  the 
work  of  double  lashing  everything  on  deck,  snapped  out 
like  the  crack  of  a  whip.  Doure  paused  for  a  moment 
and  looked  around.  The  sky  was  unusually  clear  and 
the  sea  calm.  There  was  no  wind  save  that  caused  by 
the  onward  movement  of  the  yacht.  The  heat  was  op- 
pressive, and  the  sun 's  rays  seemed  to  blister  the  paint 
on  the  woodwork.  Suddenly  the  chief  officer  who  had 
been  sweeping  the  horizon  with  his  binoculars  uttered 
a  low  exclamation  and  called  to  the  captain.  Together 
they  gazed  to  the  north  and  the  faces  of  both  of  them 
showed  concern.  Doure  joined  them  and  gazed  in  the 
direction  the  glasses  were  pointed.  A  small  black  spot 
rested  on  the  horizon,  just  at  the  junction  of  sea  and 
sky. 

"What  is  it  captain ?"  he  queried,  puzzled  by  the 
strange  actions  of  the  officers. 

The  captain  pointed  to  the  little  speck  which  was 
rapidly  growing  larger. 

"That's  the  typhoon,  Mr.  Doure,  and  its  coming  fast. 
You  had  better  go  below  and  warn  the  passengers  to 
hold  tight  to  their  chairs  for  when  it  hits  us,  the  yacht 
will  be  practically  standing  on  her  head." 

"Very  well,  captain,"  said  Doure,  and  he  went  below. 

The  officers  and  sailors  gazed  fascinated  at  the  dark 
speck,  which  was  a  speck  no  longer,  but  a  sombre  mass 
that  was  sweeping  across  the  northern  portion  of  the 
sky  with  startling  rapidity,  resembling  a  great  grey- 
black  curtain  which  was  being  swiftly  unrolled  across 

91 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


the  clear,  blue  vault.  On  and  on  it  silently  swept,  blot- 
ting out  the  brilliant  sun  and  bringing  with  it  an  awe- 
some twilight.  The  sea  took  on  a  smooth,  menacing  slate 
color,  and  seemed  to  writhe  like  a  giant  in  bonds,  testing 
his  muscles  for  the  final  struggle.  The  yacht's  head 
was  pointed  in  the  direction  whence  the  typhoon  was 
coming.  Hatches  were  battened  down  and  companion- 
way  doors  were  braced  and  locked.  The  engines  were 
slowed  down,  and  the  sailors  remained  at  their  posts. 
A  solemn  silence  seemed  to  pervade  all,  as  though  awed 
by  the  approach  of  one  of  Nature's  great  convulsions. 
The  yacht  rose  and  fell  on  the  long  rollers  with  a  sub- 
dued movement,  seemingly  appreciating  the  battle  for 
supremacy  that  was  soon  to  be  waged.  The  hush  per- 
vaded the  yacht,  and  all  waited,  tense  and  with  nerves 
keyed  to  the  highest  pitch. 

Suddenly  the  silence  on  deck  was  broken  by  the  cry 
of  a  sailor; 

''There  she  comes!"  and  those  on  deck  remained 
spellbound  with  the  awe-inspiring  spectacle  Far 
ahead,  rushing  on  them  with  the  speed  of  a  locomotive, 
came  a  great  wall  of  water,  the  crest  of  which  was 
caught  up  and  whirled  and  twisted  and  flung  far  ahead 
by  the  fierce  fury  of  the  typhoon  at  its  back.  The  sea 
had  been  lifted  up  and  carried  along  by  the  irresistible 
strength  of  the  mighty  air  forces,  and  as  it  writhed  and 
raced,  the  foaming  crest  seemed  to  touch  the  sombre 
sky  spread  overhead. 

A  puff  of  refreshing  breeze  struck  the  yacht,  then  a 
gust  that  shrieked  through  the  rigging,  followed  by  a 


92 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


blast  that  ripped  the  tiny  stormsail  from  its  bolt-ropes, 
and  screamed  as  it  tore  along. 

The  wall  of  water  towered  above  the  yacht  for  an  in- 
stant and  crashed  down  with  ripping,  grinding,  rending 
force,  engulfing  the  craft  in  a  wild  swirl  of  mountainous 
seas,  which  struck  and  leaped  and  tore  and  danced, 
flinging  the  vessel  this  way  and  that  like  a  cork,  the 
plaything  of  the  mighty  element.  The  peaceful  sea 
was  peaceful  no  longer,  but  appeared  stripped  of  its 
sweetness  and  flaunting  its  savage  passion,  tearing  and 
twisting  at  the  yacht  as  though  vainly  endeavoring  to 
rend  it  asunder.  The  shriek  of  the  wind  and  the  roar 
of  the  waves  blended  in  a  weird,  unearthly  melody, 
now  rising,  now  falling,  but  ever  fierce  and  savage. 

The  yacht's  deck  were  swept  clean,  every  vistage  of 
boats,  rails  and  stanchions  being  taken  by  the  mighty 
element.  The  vessel  pitched  and  plunged  with  a  wild- 
ness  that  threatened  destruction  at  every  moment,  and 
caused  those  on  board  to  cling  to  supports  to  avoid  be- 
ing hurled  against  the  staterooms  and  cabin  walls.  The 
wind  seemed  to  increase,  and  the  yacht  was  covered 
with  a  sheet  of  spray,  picked  up  by  the  hurricane  and 
swept  along  in  steady  streams  which  cut  like  bullets 
and  which  no  human  being  could  stand  against. 

In  the  cabin  the  faces  of  the  seven  passengers  were 
ghastly  in  the  faint  light  of  the  one  remaining  lamp; 
the  others  having  been  put  out  by  the  vessel's  wild 
pitching.  Death  seemed  near.  The  turmoil  of  the 
storm  came  in  a  subdued  roar,  which  was  occasionally 
pierced  by  a  scream  from  little  Mrs.  Allen,  who  clung 
frantically  to  her  husband  when  the  yacht  would  give 

93 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


an  unusually  wild  lurch,  which  would  send  them  all 
flying  from  their  stationary  chairs,  and  necessitate  a 
scramble  to  regain  their  seats,  where  a  more  secure 
grip  was  taken.  Occasionally  Mrs.  Campbell  would 
laugh  hysterically,  and  beg  her  husband  or  Doure  to 
"do  something." 

The  feeling  that  death  was  near  seemed  to  pervade 
the  cabin.  Doure  shuddered  at  the  thought  of  dying 
trapped  in  the  cabin,  but  the  voice  of  his  wife  repeating 
words  of  comfort,  which  he  but  indistinctly  caught, 
seemed  to  restore  his  mental  poise,  and  the  fear  of  a  few 
moments  before  was  replaced  by  a  calm  that  viewed 
the  situation  with  hope. 

As  the  hours  went  by  the  noise  from  without  seemed 
to  lesson  perceptibly,  and  even  the  hysterical  Mrs. 
Campbell  noted  the  absence  of  the  typhoon's  roar,  al- 
though the  pitching  of  the  vessel  was  terrific.  A  few 
moments  later  Captain  Sley  tumbled  down  the  compan- 
ionway,  and  clung  to  a  table  for  support. 

"The  hurricane  has  passed  and  we  are  safe,  although 
the  yacht  is  pretty  well  battered  up.  But  she's  afloat," 
and  his  heavy  voice  boomed  through  the  cabin  with  a 
welcome  sound.  ' l  We  passed  directly  through  the  cen- 
ter of  that  typhoon,  which  was  the  worst  I've  seen  in 
my  forty-odd  years'  experience  at  sea.  You  may  all 
consider  yourselves  fortunate  to  be  alive.  The  danger 
is  all  over  now,  but  you  must  not  come  on  deck  until 
the  sea  goes  down.  Mr.  Doure,  if  you  will  join  me  in 
the  chart  room  we  will  discuss  plans  for  the  future." 
As  Doure  passed  out  with  the  skipper,  clinging  to  tables 
and  chairs  and  taking  a  few  steps  at  a  time  owing  to 

94 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


the  plunging  and  rolling  of  the  yacht,  Camille  threw 
her  arms  around  her  sister. 

"Oh,  Annie,  how  wonderfully  we  have  been  pre- 
served. And  to  think  that  we  passed  though  the  center 
of  that  terrific  storm.  It  was  indeed  a  demonstration. 
At  one  time  when  I  was  thrown  across  the  cabin  and 
lay  against  the  wall,  seemingly  at  the  mercy  of  material 
law,  I  was  yielding  to  the  clutch  of  fear,  when  I  heard 
your  voice  above  all  the  noise,  singing  the  communion 
hymn,  and  the  sentence,  '  'Twas  the  truth  that  made  us 
free,'  restored  me,  and  the  mortal  sense  of  terror  van- 
ished. '  Everlasting  arms  of  Love '  seemed  enfolding  me 
and  I  sat  up,  calm  and  hopeful,  and  claimed  the  ever 
presence  of  Truth  over  error;  then  the  hurricane  died 
down  and  we  knew  we  were  saved. " 

"Camille,  dear,  we  have  to  prove  how  much  of  un- 
derstanding of  mind  we  have  gained.  It  was  a  great 
revelation  of  the  controlling  power  of  Divine  Love. 
Come  now  to  my  room  and  let  us  go  over  the  lesson  and 
render  thanks.  The  steward  is  taking  coffee  to  Mrs, 
Allen  and  Mrs.  Campbell,  who  both  seem  quite  pros- 
trated.'' 

Camille  held  her  for  a  moment. 

"Do  you  still  have  faith,  Annie,  that  Esther  is  alive; 
that  she  has  been  saved?" 

Mrs.  Doure  glanced  at  the  angry  sea  which  could  be 
seen  through  the  cabin  port  holes,  now  touched  with 
the  returning  sunlight,  her  eyes  soft  with  mother  love, 
and  express  a  sublime,  unclouded  faith. 

1  To  those  leaning  on  the  sustaining  Infinite,  to- 


95 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


day  is  big  with  blessings'/'  she  quoted,  and  together 
the  ladies  made  their  way  to  their  own  stateroom. 

When  Doure  returned  from  his  conference  with  the 
captain,  his  wife  greeted  him  in  her  usual  affectionate 
manner.  She  was  pale  from  the  experience  of  the 
last  few  hours,  but  was  calm,  and  eyed  him  question- 
ingly. 

"The  vessel  is  a  wreck  above  decks,"  said  Doure, 
"and  Captain  Sley  believes  that  we  have  been  blown 
far  to  the  south,  and  it  may  take  several  days  to  work 
back  to  our  former  position,  even  if  the  yacht  is  able 
to  proceed.  This  ends  our  last  hope  of  finding  Esther, 
for  even  though  she  had  miraculously  escaped  on  some 
wreckage  or  boat,  no  human  being  could  have  survived 
such  a  tempest  unless  on  board  a  staunch  ship." 

"God  controls  the  storm  as  he  controls  the  rest  of 
the  elements, ' '  Mrs.  Doure  returned.  ' '  No  harm  can  be- 
fall those  who  love  and  trust  and  seek  the  protection  of 
Divine  Love.  We  were  protected  during  this  awful 
storm,  otherwise  possibly  no  one  on  board  would  be 
alive  now.  To  those  who  claim  help,  nothing  but  good 
can  come,  so  this  hurricane  may  have  been  a  blessing 
in  disguise." 

"Would  that  I  had  your  wonderful  religion,"  said 
Doure,  glancing  thoughtfully  from  his  wife  to  Camille, 
who  appeared  at  the  door  of  her  stateroom.  "Come 
here  Camille  and  sit  down.  I  am  almost  convinced  that 
neither  one  of  you  know  what  fear  is,  for  I  do  not  be- 
lieve that  you  were  afraid  even  when  the  typhoon  was 
at  its  height,  although  we  were  in  the  shadow  of  death. ' ' 

"You  are  wrong,  brother  Herbert,  for  I  at  least  felt 

96 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


the  error  of  fear  at  first,  but  succeeded  in  denying  the 
lie  of  evil  as  power  and  realizing  the  Truth  as  All;  in 
knowing  that  we  were  divinely  protected,  and  trusting 
to  the  Omnipotent  power  of  Infinite  Love  to  save  us." 

Before  Doure  had  an  opportunity  to  reply,  Captain 
Sley  appeared  with  an  annoyed  expression. 

"Something  gave  way  in  the  engine-room,"  he  said, 
addressing  Doure  and  bowing,  with  his  fine  politeness, 
to  the  ladies.  "It  may  require  several  days  to  make 
repairs ;  in  fact,  it  may  be  necessary  to  beach  the  yacht 
to  get  at  the  real  cause  of  the  trouble.  But  don't  be 
alarmed,  for  we  have  plenty  of  spare  spars  on  board 
and  this  little  craft  sails  almost  as  well  as  she  steams. 
But  it  will  be  necessary  to  make  some  land  as  soon  as 
possible,  and  as  nearly  as  I  can  calculate  our  position 
without  taking  a  sight,  I  figure  we  must  be  within  three 
hundred  miles  of  the  Ladrones  group,  so  I  am  going  to 
sail  for  these  islands  in  order  to  find  a  quiet  harbor  in 
which  to  make  the  necessary  repairs  to  enable  us  to 
steam  back  to  Hong-Kong.  It  is  necessary  to  find 
the  exact  damage  suffered  by  the  engines  while  tossed 
by  the  typhoon.  But  this  will  not  delay  us  more  than 
a  week  or  ten  days,  so  be  contented  as  possible." 

When  the  captain  had  left,  Doure  looked  at  his  wife 
and  Camille,  as  if  to  remark  that  the  object  of  their 
voyage  was  futile,  and  that  destiny  was  against  their 
efforts;  but  Mrs.  Doure  forestalled  this  disappointed 
view  by  remarking:  "God,  Good,  is  leading  us,  Her- 
bert, and  is  directing  every  movement.  Happiness  is 
never  the  sport  of  circumstances;  so,  'let  Spirit  have 
the  control  and  we  shall  behold  its  Power. '  ' 

97 


The  Power  of  Truth. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

EREY  childish  voices  awakened  Bentley  from 
his  dreamless  slumber  in  the  pretty  little 
thatched  hut,  and  he  lay  drowsily  drinking  in 
the  sweet  odors  from  the  jungle  and  listening  to  the 
peals  of  laughter  that  arose  from  a  group  of  brown- 
skinned  urchins  that  ran  and  whirled  in  a  game  of 
tag.  TEe  hut  was  devoid  of  sides,  and  Bentley  lay  en- 
joying the  spectacle.  From  behind  a  palm  tree  raced 
Esther,  her  golden  hair  flying  and  her  cheeks  pink  with 
the  excitement  of  the  play  and  exercise.  She  was  one 
of  the  merriest  of  the  group,  and  when  the  game  was 
over  the  native  children  clustered  around  her  in  friend- 
ly attitudes.  They  were  merely  children,  although  one 
was  white  and  the  others  were  dark.  The  scene  pleased 
Bentley.  Esther  had  impressed  him  as  such  a  quaint 
little  person  that  to  see  her  frolicking  with  others  of  her 
own  age  came  as  a  welcome  surprise.  His  thoughts 
were  clear  and  the  forebodings  of  the  night  before  had 
left  him.  It  was  all  so  peaceful  and  quiet  and  seemed 
to  exhale  a  sense  of  rest.  He  left  the  hut  and  went  up 
the  beach  to  a  small  cove,  where  he  stripped  and 
plunged  into  the  limpid  water.  It  was  exhilarating  and 
refreshing,  and  when  Bentley  returned  to  the  hut  he 
found  Esther  seated  within  a  circle  of  her  little  brown 
friends,  arranging  an  enormous  bouquet  of  the  won- 
drous wild  flowers  found  only  in  the  tropics. 

98 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


"Aren't  they  pretty,  Uncle  Tom?"  she  called,  hold- 
ing up  an  armful  of  the  orchids,  and  laying  them  about 
the  spot  where  the  old  native  woman  had  set  the  fruit 
and  fish  which  formed  their  breakfast. 

"I  had  a  jolly  time.  Why,  these  natives  are  lovely," 
she  continued,  smiling  at  the  children  who  had  with- 
drawn a  short  distance  at  Bentley's  approach. 

"It's  not  the  children  that  I  am  afraid  of,"  answered 
Bentley,  glancing  apprehensively  at  a  number  of  na- 
tives who  had  silently  approached  and  were  eyeing  the 
white  man  and  child  closely. 

"I  suppose  they  will  be  blaming  us  for  the  death  of 
their  king,  if  they  don't  sacrifice  us  beforehand  as  an 
offering  to  their  heathen  gods  with  the  hope  of  prolong- 
ing the  old  fellow's  life." 

Esther  was  thoughtful  for  a  few  moments,  silently 
eating  the  fruits.  She  glanced  fearlessly  at  the  dark 
faces  of  the  natives  who  stood  near. 

"Maybe  I  could  help  the  chief,  Uncle  Tom;  that  is, 
if  he  would  be  willing  that  I  should  try.  I  feel  that  I 
might  be  a  channel  for  Truth  to  drive  out  the  error 
that  holds  him.  Won't  you  see  if  I  may  be  permitted 
to  try?"  Bentley  looked  at  her  with  almost  awe.  How 
could  she,  a  little  child,  heal  a  rough  savage,  sick  unto 
death.  Yet  her  faith  had  thus  far  been  justified  by 
the  results.  Her  belief  in  their  rescue  had  never  wav- 
ered, and  here  they  were  safe  ashore,  although  in  the 
midst  of  seeming  dangers.  But  how  could  she  demon- 
strate over  disease?  If  she  could,  then  their  future 
was  assured;  they  would  be  given  every  care  and  at- 


99 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


tention;  and  ultimately  would  be  able  to  get  back  to 
civilization.  If  she  failed;  well — immediate  death 
would  probably  be  the  result.  As  it  was  they  might  not 
be  molested  for  several  days,  and  who  knows  what 
might  turn  up  in  the  meantime?  These  thoughts  and 
many  more  chased  each  other  swiftly  through  Bentley's 
brain.  Never  before  had  he  felt  such  indecision.  He 
had  been  used  to  think  and  act  quickly,  but  for  once 
he  was  at  a  loss  what  to  do.  Esther  seemed  unconscious 
of  his  mental  struggle.  She  had  opened  her  Science 
and  Health  and  together  with  her  Bible  and  quarterly, 
was  calmly  studying  the  lesson.  In  the  midst  of  his 
mental  conflict  several  warriors  approached,  gazed  in- 
tently for  a  few  seconds,  and  then  beckoned  Bentley 
and  the  child  to  follow. 

"Well,  Esther,  it  seems  that  the  matter  of  your  in- 
terview with  the  old  king  is  taken  out  of  my  hands, 
for  if  I  surmise  correctly  we  are  on  our  way  to  his  hut 
now.  But  no  one  can  foretell  what  the  result  of  our 
summons  will  be.  The  prospect  is  not  enticing." 

"Just  think  Love.  Hatred  has  no  place,  no  power/' 
answered  Esther,  putting  her  hand  in  his  and  tripping 
alongside  of  him  through  the  pretty  lanes  of  flowers 
and  vines  that  encircled  the  trunks  of  the  trees. 

"If  I  have  sufficient  understanding  to  declare  the 
Truth  for  the  sick  king,  then  I  can  be  the  channel  for 
Mind  to  flow  through  me  with  healing  for  him,"  she 
continued. 

Bentley  was  dubious,  but  a  glance  at  her  peaceful 
face  was  comforting. 


100 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


As  they  neared  the  village,  the  cries  and  lamenta- 
tions of  the  women  and  children,  combined  with  the 
deeper  voices  of  the  men  and  the  noisy  incantations  of 
the  priests,  struck  with  a  jarring  note.  They  passed 
by  a  crowd  of  natives  who  were  indulging  in  wierd 
ceremonies  in  honor  of  their  dying  chief,  and  who  eyed 
the  alien  visitors  with  suspicion;  through  rows  of 
thatched  huts  to  the  center  of  the  village,  where  the 
king's  "palace"  stood.  It  was  a  picturesque  structure, 
with  its  grass  roof  and  skull-adorned  doorway,  flanked 
on  either  side  with  knives  and  spears  captured  in  many 
island  wars.  Scores  of  natives  were  gathered  around 
the  hut,  and  while  walking  through  the  lines  of  savage- 
looking  men,  all  armed  with  their  rude  weapons,  Bent- 
ley  half  expected  to  be  struck  down,  but  Esther  man- 
ifested no  fear,  sedately  walking  along. 

They  were  conducted  through  the  doorway,  beneath 
the  barbaric  decorations,  past  a  matting  screen,  and 
were  ushered  into  a  large  room  in  the  center  of  which, 
on  a  goat-skin  covered  couch,  lay  a  giant  savage.  Mem- 
bers of  his  household,  and  the  most  noted  warriors  were 
grouped  about  him ;  while  at  one  side  the  priests  chant- 
ed their  frenzied  incantations,  beating  on  tom-toms  and 
shaking  rattles,  and  creating  an  unearthly  clamor. 
The  old  chief  lay  gasping  in  fevered  agony.  His  great 
form,  covered  with  native  cloth,  showed  to  grand  pro- 
portions, although  wasted  with  illness.  The  cheeks 
were  hollow,  the  black  hair  matted,  but  the  sunken  eyes 
burned  with  a  strange  brilliancy.  He  was  fighting  with 
Death,  and  his  indomitable  will  struggled  against  the 


101 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


conquering  foe.  The  great  form  indicated  herculean 
strength,  and  the  bronzed  face,  despite  its  traces  of 
savagery,  and  marks  of  war  and  illness,  was  attractive 
and  Bentley  felt  unconsciously  drawn  to  the  sick  man 
as  though  by  some  unseen  tie  of  brotherly  kindness. 

Esther  released  Bentley 's  hand  and  stepped  gently 
to  the  side  of  the  sick  savage ;  laying  a  small  white 
hand  on  the  fevered  brow.  The  natives  in  the  hut 
started  menacingly,  but  the  touch  was  soothing  and 
something  in  the  fearlessness  and  confidence  of  the 
child  made  the  old  chief  turn  a  softened  look  on  her. 
With  a  wondering  manner  he  touched  the  golden  hair 
and  soft  white  cheeks,  evidently  half  believing  that  a 
spirit  from  the  Better  World  had  come  to  take  him  to 
join  his  fathers. 

In  an  instant  Bentley  felt  a  wondrous  calm  replacing 
his  troubled  dream ;  his  consciousness  awoke  to  the  fact 
that  God,  Spirit,  is  All.  The  feeling  that  the  supreme 
power  of  Good  would  continue  its  Divine  protection 
came  to  him  with  renewed  force.  He  seemed  in  the  in- 
stant to  feel  the  stimulus  of  Divine  Mind ;  to  grasp  what 
the  child  had  read  and  told  him  of  the  false  evidence 
of  the  senses  and  the  harmony  of  being,  and  the  realiza- 
tion that  the  old  chief  was  gripped  by  a  false  belief; 
jthat  he  was  the  helpless  victim  of  destroying  error  came 
to  him  in  an  enlightening  flash.  He  knew  that  Spirit, 
not  matter,  governs  man,  and  also  that  Esther  had  un- 
derstanding to  meet  the  foe  fearlessly,  and  thus  be  the 
channel  for  Divine  Love  to  prove  its  Omnipotence  over 
every  physical  action  and  condition. 


102 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


Bentley  stepped  forward  and  raised  his  hand  for  si- 
lence. At  a  nod  from  the  chief  the  priests  ceased  their 
incantations;  the  tom-toms  were  silent,  and  the  sounds 
of  wailing  were  stilled.  Partly  by  native  words  and 
partly  by  signs,  Bentley  explained  that  the  child  was 
also  a  great  healer,  and  that  she  could  make  the  chief 
well;  could  drive  out  the  sickness  and  restore  the  old 
monarch  to  health  through  Mind-Science;  and  as  he 
spoke  the  conviction  came  to  Bentley  that  it  was  so; 
that  there  was  no  defeat  in  mind ;  that  Truth  and  Har- 
mony destroy  error  and  discord;  a  realization  of  this 
metaphysical  fact  which  had  hitherto  been  little  more 
than  chaos  to  him.  The  savage  faces  that  surrounded 
him  seemed  to  fade,  and  dangers  and  fears  appeared  to 
drop  away  into  their  native  nothingness  in  the  glorious 
light  of  Truth  triumphant ;  a  sweet  feeling  of  peace  and 
thankfulness  replaced  the  former  turmoil  of  material 
sense ;  and  when  Esther  knelt  by  the  side  of  the  suffer- 
ing man,  Bentley  reverently  joined  her  and  listened 
with  a  new  appreciation  to  the  words  she  read  from 
Science  and  Health. 

Later  Esther  closed  her  book  and  silently  declared 
''Supremacy  of  Truth  over  error;  Life  over  death  and 
Good  over  evil."  Scientifically  and  to  the  best  of  her 
ability  she  argued  that  disease  is  a  mortal  dream  of  the 
material  senses  which  Love  will  break  and  thus  recon- 
struct the  body;  she  realized  for  him  that  the  fear 
which  controlled  him  would  be  destroyed  by  Mind, 
which  is  All;  that  Mind  reaches  every  part  of  the  hu- 
man system ;  that  Health  and  Harmony  is  the  Truth  of 


103 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


Being,  and  sin,  disease  and  death  must  vanish  in  that 
Light ;  that  the  economy  of  being  must  yield  to  this  su- 
premacy. The  minutes  passed  by,  with  only  the  breath- 
ing of  the  sick  man  and  the  occasional  nervous  move- 
ment of  one  of  the  natives  to  break  the  awed  silence. 
Esther  continued  her  silent  work  and  finally  the  heal- 
ing power  of  Truth  dispelled  ignorance  and  disease 
with  the  removal  of  the  false  sense  of  illness  and  death ; 
Love  was  reflected  and  the  body  responded  harmonious- 
ly; inflammation  abated,  peace  shone  through  the  old 
king's  eyes;  a  gentle  smile  played  about  the  grim  lips, 
and  a  dew  of  perspiration  cooled  the  heated  brow.  With 
a  look  of  tenderest  gratitude  at  the  little  messenger  of 
Love,  the  sick  man  restfully  closed  his  eyes  in  refresh- 
ing sleep. 

Astonishment  held  all  those  in  the  hut  silent.  One 
thought  governed  every  mind  and  swayed  every  breast 
—that  the  white-skinned  man  and  child  were  spirits 
sent  by  the  gods  above  to  save  their  old  chief,  for  all 
knew  that  the  sleep  meant  the  breaking  of  the  fever. 

Esther  gazed  at  the  sleeping  man,  and  then  glanced 
brightly  around  at  the  awed  faces,  and  with  a  gesture 
for  silence,  passed  out  through  the  wondering  crowds, 
and  the  savage  heads  bowed  in  mute  tribute  to  the  little 
white  girl,  whom  they  regarded  as  a  spirit  of  Good,  and 
who  had  proved  herself  more  powerful  than  their  great- 
est priest. 

Esther's  face  glowed  with  happiness  as  they  went 
joyously  back  to  their  little  hut,  through  the  flower- 
crowned  jungle. 


104 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


4 'Uncle  Tom,  isn't  it  lovely!  Wasn't  it  a  beautiful 
demonstration  of  the  Omnipotence,  Omnipresence  and 
Omniscience  of  Love?" 

"Yes,  Esther,  it  was  a  glorious  proof  of  the  dominion 
of  Mind.  I  am  beginning  to  understand  that  'man  is 
spiritual,  not  material/  and  to  know  that  we  are  the 
expression  of  Life,  Truth,  and  Love." 


105 


Nearing  the  Goal. 

CHAPTEE  X. 

HAT  smoke  you  see  on  the  horizon, ' '  said  Captain 
Sley,  indicating  a  patch  of  black  far  ahead,  "is 
from  a  volcano  on  the  island  of  either  Pagan  or 
Uraccas,  in  the  Ladrones  group,  and  if  this  wind  holds 
out  we  will  be  there  by  three  or  four  o  'clock  this  after- 
noon." 

The  star  of  the  East  was  gliding  over  the  smooth 
water  with  a  fair  wind,  and  reeling  off  the  knots  in  a 
manner  that  delighted  the  heart  of  the  old  captain,  and 
proved  his  assertion  that  the  yacht  could  sail  almost  as 
well  as  she  could  steam.  The  smoke  had  been  sighted 
at  sunrise,  and  the  passengers  were  all  eager  for  news 
of  the  land  they  were  about  to  see.  They  were  gath- 
ered about  the  skipper  on  the  upper  deck,  which  had 
been  repaired  as  well  as  possible,  and  save  for  the  brok- 
en davits  and  wrecked  rail  gave  no  evidence  that  the 
yacht  had  passed  through  the  center  of  a  typhoon  three 
days  before. 

"It  seems  so  good  to  be  nearing  land  again,"  said 
Mrs.  Allen.  "Do  tell  us  something  about  these  islands, 
captain.  Are  they  inhabited?" 

"Well,  the  Ladrones  consist  of  a  group  of  islands 
with  the  most  northerly  one  lying  about  20  degrees 
north,  or  to  make  it  more  intelligible  to  you,  about  a 
thousand  or  twelve  hundred  miles  from  the  equator. 


106 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


They  were  discovered  by  some  of  the  early  Spanish 
navigators,  who  named  them  'Islas  de  los  Ladrones.' 
Only  the  southern  half  of  the  group  are  inhabited.  The 
northern  islands  are  wild,  desolate  jungle,  with  active 
volcanoes.  It  is  said  that  some  of  the  natives — I  believe 
they  are  part  of  the  Tagals  from  the  Philippines  who 
were  driven  from  their  own  islands — took  refuge  in  one 
of  the  northern  Ladrones,  and  live  there  in  the  dense 
jungles ;  fierce,  and  independent,  and  are  reputed  to  be 
cannibals.  The  islands  are  owned  by  Spain,  and  on  the 
southernmost  there  is  a  little  Spanish  settlement,  but 
that  is  some  five  hundred  miles  to  the  south  of 
Uraccas,  which,  I  am  sure,  is  the  volcano  you  see  ahead. 
I  remember  touching  at  this  island  many  years  ago 
when  I  was  trading  among  the  South  Sea  Islands  and 
along  the  China  coast,  and  I  don't  suppose  there  have 
been  any  changes  since. 

' '  The  difference  between  the  southern  and  the  north- 
ern half  of  this  group  of  islands  is  that  in  the  north 
they  are  high  and  wooded,  while  in  the  south  the  islands 
are  low  and  sandy,  surrounded  by  coral  reefs  that  make 
navigation  difficult ;  but  you  will  soon  be  able  to  see  for 
yourselves,"  and  the  skipper  re-entered  his  cabin. 

Under  the  big  green  awning  on  the  upper  deck  the 
passengers  lounged  with  their  accustomed  cheerfulness, 
the  ladies  engaging  in  their  various  occupations.  Mrs. 
Allen  and  Mrs.  Campbell,  no  longer  victims  of  nerves 
and  fears,  but  feeling  the  glad  spell  of  enjoyment  which 
the  revivifying  tonic  of  the  sea  brings  with  exhilarat- 
ing effect,  were  among  the  merriest.  Camille,  in  a  pret- 


107 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


ty  pale  blue  gown  of  delicate  lawn,  was  starting  upon  a 
new  canvas,  a  study  of  sky  and  water,  but  of  different 
color  and  conditions. 

Mrs.  Doure  came  from  the  cabin  where  she  had  been 
playing  the  piano,  and  sitting  with  the  group  at  the 
table,  opened  her  work  basket  and  began  embroidering. 

'  *  This  motion  of  sailing  seems  so  easy  and  quiet  after 
the  throbbing  of  the  propeller,"  she  remarked.  "I  will 
really  be  glad  if  the  engines  are  not  repaired." 

"I  wonder  what  adventures  will  befall  us  next," 
laughed  little  Mrs.  Allen. 

"If  we  ever  get  back  to  Hong  Kong,  we  will  be  able 
to  rival  the  adventures  of  some  of  the  old  explorers," 
chimed  in  Mrs.  Campbell,  surveying  her  lace  work  with 
admiration. 

Camille  looked  up  from  her  painting,  and  said :  ' '  We 
will  return  to  Hong  Kong  in  safety,  and  will  carry  with 
us  beautiful  memories  of  this  voyage.  You  will  see  how 
lovely  everything  will  turn  out." 

1  'Well,  in  that  case,"  returned  Mrs.  Allen,  "I  shall 
turn  my  attention  seriously  to  Christian  Science.  Real- 
ly, up  to  this  time  I  have  been  so  happy  and  have  had 
such  a  good  time  all  my  life,  that  I  have  not  felt  the 
need  of  anything  that  my  husband  could  not  get  for  me. 
But  it  is  just  wonderful  to  see  how  quiet  you  two  were 
during  that  awful  typhoon.  Oh,  it  was  so  dreadful!" 

"Love  watches  over  all,"  responded  Mrs.  Doure,  ris- 
ing and  joining  her  husband  who  was  strolling  along  the 
deck.  He  was  rather  moody  and  turned  a  troubled 
face  to  his  wife. 


108 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


' '  Annie,  dear,  the  troubles  of  the  last  few  weeks  have 
made  me  feel  years  older.  I  used  to  be  jollier,  and 
more  hopeful,  entering  into  business  enterprises  with 
keen  zest,  thinking  all  the  while  how  pleasant  it  was 
for  you  and  Esther  to  have  everything  you  wanted, 
and  how  this  Chinese  deal  would  make  us  independent- 
ly wealthy.  But  like  a  clap  of  thunder  out  of  a  clear 
sky,  came  this  succession  of  calamities,  and  the  future 
looks  dark  to  me." 

"The  mortal  and  material  are  unstable,  Herbert,  and 
to  build  that  way  is  to  build  on  the  shifting  sands." 

"Yes,  I  have  come  to  realize  that  fact.  The  swift, 
sharp  blow  of  Esther's  loss  on  the  Merving  Hall;  then 
the  tangle  in  the  railroad  concession,  our  undertaking 
to  seek  Esther  upon  this  great  ocean — as  practical  as 
pursuing  the  ignis  fatuus — and  as  a  rebuke  to  our  fool- 
ish presumption,  the  narrow  escape  from  death  of  our- 
selves and  friends  in  the  typhoon  has  stirred  the  foun- 
dation of  my  nature,  and  I  am  beginning  to  look  upon 
life  from  a  more  serious  and  higher  plane." 

Mrs.  Doure  leaned  more  closely  upon  her  husband's 
arm  as  she  answered:  "The  depths  have  to  be  stirred 
for  the  cleansing.  'It  is  always  darkest  before  dawn.' 
Your  sorrowful  forebodings  will  turn  thought  into  the 
right  direction,  and  these  dark  beliefs  will  vanish  into 
their  native  nothingness.  Love  is  troubling  the  material 
waters  of  illusion,  and  when  Truth  destroys  unreal  dis- 
cord, then  you  will  find  that  all  is  everlasting  harmony 
and  these  sad  visions  will  vanish." 


109 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


' '  So  you  yet  have  faith !  Do  you  still  believe  that 
we  will  find  Esther?" 

' '  Infinite  Mind  is  the  only  power.  The  demonstration 
will  be  that  of  Perpetual  Love." 

As  they  turned  and  walked  back  toward  the  others, 
Doure  spoke  in  a  softer  tone. 

"  Annie,  it  has  come  to  me  that  perhaps  Dr.  Welling- 
ford  is  helping  clear  away  the  difficulties  surrounding 
the  railroad  concession,  for  this  morning  it  suddenly 
occurred  to  me  where  the  misunderstanding  lay,  and 
how  it  could  be  settled  satisfactorily." 

As  they  passed  along  the  deck  they  could  see  the  en- 
joyment of  their  friends  over  a  game  of  cards.  Camille 
sat  before  her  small  easel,  working  intently  on  her 
sketch,  her  brush  moving  rapidly,  and  a  beautiful  con- 
ception of  a  picture  was  laid  on  with  masterly  strokes. 
The  study  represented  a  pretty  tropical  island,  nestling 
in  a  sapphire  sea,  with  a  clear  blue  sky  overhead,  while 
palms  and  flowers  adorned  the  shore.  They  paused, 
watching  Camille  as  she  filled  in  the  details  of  the  scene, 
and  hearing  a  step,  turned  to  find  Captain  Sley  standing 
beside  them,  gazing  at  the  painting. 

" That's  splendid,  Miss  Camille,"  he  said,  "and  short- 
ly after  noon  you  will  see  an  island  that  resembles  your 
painting  very  much.  We  are  headed  for  Uraccas,  one 
of  the  Ladrones,  as  I  have  already  told  you.  With  the 
glasses  you  can  already  see  the  rugged  peak.  Would 
you  like  to  look,"  and  the  captain  handed  Camille  his 
binoculars. 

They  were  passed  around,  and  others  were  secured, 


no 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


and  the  morning  hours  passed  in  watching  the  island 
grow  from  a  speck  to  a  green  reality.  It  was  a  small 
island,  and  the  volcano  which  crowned  it  sent  forth  a 
thin  column  of  smoke  which  was  wafted  far  out  over  the 
sea  before  being  lost  in  the  mists  of  the  violet  distance 
of  the  upper  air.  Waving  palms  and  deep  green 
thickets  sloped  down  to  the  water's  edge,  and  a  line  of 
white  marked  the  beach.  The  yacht  glided  nearer  and 
nearer.  The  lighter  sails  were  taken  in  as  the  captain 
wished  to  select  a  safe  anchorage  and  avoid  piling  up  on 
some  uncharted  reef.  A  pretty  little  inlet  was  spied 
by  the  man  on  the  lookout,  and  the  yacht's  head  was 
pointed  for  the  place.  Gradually  she  crept  closer,  while 
the  lead  was  kept  going  to  give  warning  of  shoal  water. 
The  inlet  formed  a  sheltered  bay,  and  as  the  yacht's 
head  swung  around  the  point,  all  on  board  expressed 
their  delight  at  the  beauty  of  the  scene.  The  water  was 
clear  as  crystal  and  smooth  as  a  millpond;  flowers  and 
vines  trailed  in  the  glassy  surface,  while  far  above  tow- 
ered the  volcano 's  crest. 

Throngs  of  natives  lined  the  beach,  and  dark  faces 
peered  ominously  at  the  travelers  on  the  little  white 
yacht. 


ill 


Transformation  Island. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

>T  WAS  afternoon  on  the  island ;  a  drowsy  hum  of 
insects  and  a  subdued  twitter  of  bird  life,  pierced 
occasionally  by  the  scream  of  a  parrot,  lent  a 
dreamy  tone  to  the  soft,  warm  air;  spicy  breaths  and 
fragrant  odors  were  exhaled  from  the  jungle  in  de- 
licious wafts  of  sweetness,  while  the  warm  sunlight 
touched  the  brilliant  flowers  with  dazzling  lustre, 
strengthening  a  highlight  here,  softening  a  flaming 
color  there,  and  blending  the  whole  shimmering  scene 
into  a  picture  of  warm,  exquisite  beauty.  The  subdued 
murmur  of  the  surf  on  the  near-by  beach  added  to  the 
sense  of  rest  and  beauty,  and  dreamy  peace. 

Esther  and  Bentley  sat  under  the  pleasant  shadows 
of  the  tall  palms  in  front  of  their  little  hut,  which  now 
presented  a  quaint  appearance,  with  odd,  savage  decor- 
ations adorning  the  front  and  sides.  The  gratitude  of 
the  old  chief  over  his  wonderful  restoration  to  health 
had  been  expressed  every  way  his  mind  could  devise; 
a  reverent  humility  characterizing  his  manner  toward 
them;  his  rude,  savage  nature,  ignorant  and  narrowed, 
dimly  and  devoutly  felt  that  the  sky  had  opened  and 
sent  down  upon  the  sea  these  white  spirits,  for  spirits 
they  were  in  his  eyes,  who  were  good  and  who  brought 
him  health  and  happiness;  for  he  had  never  felt  so 
capable  and  so  kind.  He  could  not  grasp  the  fact  that 


112 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


in  Truth  he  was  the  image  and  likeness  of  the  Only 
Cause,  the  One  Mind,  nor  could  Esther  explain  herself 
in  his  tongue ;  but  he  felt  Love  permeating  his  being  and 
casting  out  all  disease  and  pain,  and  the  result  was 
peace  and  health. .  His  physical  strength  was  returning 
slowly,  but  the  mental  content  was  beyond  any  feeling 
he  had  ever  known,  something  strangely  quiet  and  hap- 
py. The  morning  after  his  restoration  to  health  he  had 
sought  out  the  man  and  child,  walking  feebly  and  with 
still  weakened  steps,  anxious  to  see  again  the  white 
beings  who  had  snatched  him  back  from  the  brink  of 
the  great  hereafter.  Behind  him  came  natives  bearing 
the  finest  mats  woven  by  the  women  of  his  tribe ;  strings 
of  shells,  coral,  rare  pearls,  the  choicest  fruits  and 
dainty  fish,  while  children  carried  garlands  of  flowers. 
All  the  treasures  of  the  island  were  laid  at  the  feet  of 
the  strangers,  including  many  savage  relics  of  wars. 

Esther  laughed  in  delight  while  surveying  the  gifts, 
and  taking  the  old  king's  hand,  looked  smilingly  into 
his  face,  as  she  motioned  him  to  sit  down  beside  them. 
He  gravely  squatted  on  the  grass,  and  signified  to  his 
followers  to  return  to  the  village. 

To  make  the  king  welcome,  Bentley  drew  his  meers- 
chaum pipe  from  its  case,  saying  to  Esther:  "I  have 
lost  all  desire  for  it — another  little  demonstration,  or 
I  might  say,  a  big  one,  for  tobacco  to  me  has  been  a 
companion  for  a  great  many  years." 

Filling  the  pipe,  he  lighted  it,  and  handed  it  to  the 
chief,  together  with  the  tobacco  pouch  in  which  a  small 
quantity  still  remained. 


113 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


"It  beats  your  island  tobacco  and  your  cane  pipe," 
he  smilingly  remarked,  and  though  the  dusky  king  was 
ignorant  of  the  words,  he  understood  the  actions  and 
was  soon  puffing  contentedly,  pausing  now  and  again 
to  admire  his  new  possession,  and  .beaming  on  the 
strange  visitors  who  had  opened  a  new  world  to  him. 

''The  chief  has  been  healed  of  sickness  while  I  have 
been  healed  of  sin,"  he  finally  said.  "Savage  and  civ- 
ilized, we  both  feel  that  we  are  children  of  the  ever-liv- 
ing 'Father-Mother-God/  who  is  ever-present  Love, 
casting  out  our  disease  and  false  beliefs.  Esther,  child, 
I  feel  like  naming  this  place  Transformation  Island,  for 
the  transforming  power  of  Mind  has  freed  this  aged 
savage,  and  myself,  a  representative  of  modern  civiliza- 
tion, from  our  different  errors.  He  cannot  read  this 
precious  book  and  gain  the  scientific  thought  and  spir- 
itual unfolding;  but  I  desire  to  do  my  part  and  learn 
of  my  birthright  as  revealed  in  Science  and  Health.  It 
is  sublime  to  awake  from  this  earthly  dream  and  know 
that  man  is  spiritual  and  not  material." 

"But  you  see,  Uncle  Tom,  you  had  to  have  proof  that 
Infinite  Truth  was  ever  present ;  that  harmony  was  real ; 
that  discord,  sin  and  sickness  are  error  beliefs.  Now, 
when  we  get  home,  you  can  tell  others  what  our  dear 
leader  has  done  for  you — you  were  blind,  but  now 
you  see.  I'm  glad  you  don't  want  to  smoke  any  more." 

' '  No  resolution  on  my  part  could  have  freed  me  from 
that  habit;  however,  the  desire  to  use  tobacco  has  left 
me.  But  now  we  must  consider  the  problem  of  get- 
ting off  this  island.  Do  you  expect  Love  to  open  a 


114 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


way  for  us  ?  Is  that  the  demonstration  you  are  working 
on  now  ?  I  feel  so  grateful  to  God  that  I  merely  want  to 
be  an  obedient  child  and  let  Love  lead  the  way.  And, 
Esther,  I  am  just  beginning  to  realize  the  debt  of  grati- 
tude humanity  owes  to  Mrs.  Eddy.  She  is  indeed  God's 
Prophet  to  this  age.  What's  the  excitement,  I  won- 
der?" 

Some  of  the  savages  came  running,  and  hastily  re- 
ported to  the  old  chief,  whose  face  expressed  surprise, 
He  took  the  pipe,  now  smoked  out,  from  his  lips,  and 
replacing  it  in  its  case,  slipped  it  in  his  loin  cloth  and 
spoke  some  words  to  Bentley  and  Esther,  which  were 
meaningless  to  them,  but  his  manner  seemed  excited, 
and  he  hurried  after  the  warriors  who  had  summoned 
him,  and  who  had  returned  toward  the  beach  on  a  run. 

1 '  What  do  you  think  is  the  matter,  Uncle  Tom  ? ' ' 

"Hard  to  say.  Something  of  little  importance  to 
us,  though;  possibly  some  natives  from  one  of  the  ad- 
joining islands  are  hovering  in  the  distance,  threatening 
an  attack ;  or  some  fishermen  may  have  caught  a  shark. 
But  we  might  follow  and  see  how  they  manage  their 
barbarous  affairs." 

Clinging  to  Bentley 's  hand  and  talking  cheerfully 
as  she  skipped  along,  Esther  accompanied  him  to  the 
pretty  cove,  which  was  screened  from  their  view  by  the 
heavy  foliage. 

"It  is  evidently  an  event  of  some  importance,"  Bent- 
ley  remarked,  as  he  watched  the  natives  hurrying 
through  the  jungle  from  all  directions,  manifestly  ex- 
cited by  what  they  had  heard.  As  they  neared  the  cove 


115 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


they  beheld  the  old  king,  forgetful  of  recent  weakness, 
and  manifesting  force  and  fire,  issuing  orders  to  his 
warriors,  who  were  hastily  manning  many  canoes,  as 
though  about  to  engage  some  hostile  tribe. 

Esther,  impelled  by  some  sudden,  uncontrollable  im- 
pulse, let  go  of  Bentley's  hand  and  pushed  through  the 
crowd  of  savages  till  she  reached  the  side  of  the  old 
chief.  From  an  unobstructed  view,  she  looked  out 
over  the  pretty  cove,  where,  upon  the  blue,  sparkling 
water  a  white  yacht,  graceful  and  beautiful,  lay  peace- 
fully at  anchor,  while  eagerly  clustered  along  the  rail, 
watching  the  savages  with  an  anxious  look,  were  a  num- 
ber of  white  people,  both  men  and  women.  Esther  gave 
one  scream. 

"  Mother,  Father,  Aunt  Camille!  Uncle  Tom,  Uncle 
Tom!  The  demonstration  is  made.  God  has  brought 
them."  As  Bentley  reached  her  side  with  a  bound, 
and  in  intense  bewilderment,  she  threw  herself  into  his 
arms,  weeping  for  joy  and  ecstatic  emotion. 

Lifting  her  in  his  arms,  he,  too,  gazed  at  the  spectacle 
of  the  strong,  fine  yacht — of  his  own  people  crowding 
her  deck — and  a  strange  reverence  surged  through  his 
being,  and  closing  his  eyes  his  soul  murmured :  ''Father, 
I  thank  thee.  Thy  strength  is  made  perfect  in  mortal 
weakness." 

"Esther!"  burst  from  Mrs.  Doure's  lips  in  a  cry 
that  carried  clear  and  sweet  over  the  short  distance, 
"we  have  found  you,"  and  she  threw  her  arms  around 
her  husband's  neck  and  lay  sobbing  on  his  breast. 

"Esther!     Tommy!  both  of  you,"  came  a  cry  from 


116 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


Camille,  and  she  clung,  trembling,  to  a  stanchion  for 
support. 

Doure  gazed  at  the  man  and  the  child  on  the  beach 
as  though  unable  to  believe  his  own  vision  and  to  com- 
prehend that  it  was  his  little  daughter  and  his  friend 
restored  to  life;  it  seemed  too  wild  and  impossible;  it 
was  evidently  a  mistake  or  a  Hallucination.  But  his 
wife,  now  recovered  from  the  first  great  shock,  was 
waving  frantically  at  the  small  figure,  who  was  dancing 
up  and  down  on  the  sand,  and  throwing  kisses  with 
both  hands,  and  calling  words  of  dearest  greeting. 

Doure  heard  his  wife  murmuring:  " Divine  Love  has 
indeed  watched  over  our  darling  and  has  restored  her 
to  us  safely.  Oh,  Herbert,  what  a  demonstration  of  the 
mighty  protection  of  Infinite  Good !  Oh,  Father,  Moth- 
er, God,  how  grateful  I  am!"  And  she  looked  from  her 
little  daughter  to  the  blue  sky  above,  while  tears  of 
joy  and  happiness  streamed  down  her  cheeks. 

After  her  first  outburst  of  joy,  Esther  skipped  and 
danced  on  the  sand,  and  clasping  the  chief's  hand, 
pointed  to  the  yacht  and  then  to  herself,  and  the  old 
native  saw  and  understood,  and  called  his  warriors  back 
from  a  possible  attack  on  the  strange  craft  that  had 
thus  invaded  his  harbor.  He  felt  that  as  the  white 
spirits  had  been  sent  to  heal  him,  thus  they  would  be 
taken  away. 

Bentley  was  the  prey  of  indescribable  emotions.  Cam- 
ille was  before  him;  nothing  else  in  his  chaotic  condi- 
tion, for  the  moment,  mattered.  Divine  Love  had  not 
only  rescued  him  from  the  deep,  but  had  brought  to 


117 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


his  aid  the  woman  he  loved,  and  whom  he  loved  now 
with  a  higher,  nobler,  and  purer  feeling  than  in  the 
days  before  his  regeneration.  How  long  it  seemed !  It 
was  awe-inspiring,  and  Bentley  bowed  his  head  in  pro- 
found reverence,  and  gave  silent  thanks  to  the  Divine 
Power  that  had  never  failed  nor  forsaken  them,  and 
which  had  brought  about  such  wonders. 

Explaining  his  desires  to  the  chief  by  motions,  with 
Esther,  he  stepped  into  one  of  the  canoes  and  shot  out 
to  the  yacht,  where,  in  an  instant,  the  child  was  in  her 
mother's  arms,  with  the  father  bending  over  both,  and 
the  friends  and  crew  manifesting  wonder  and  delight. 

Bronzed  and  worn  by  the  marvelous  experiences 
through  which  he  had  passed,  with  marks  of  care  and 
shipwreck  on  face  and  clothing,  yet  with  a  look  of 
noble  manhood  in  his  face  that  was  hitherto  foreign  to 
his  reckless  nature,  Bentley  stood  eagerly  before  Cam- 
ille.  It  was  the  same  old  commanding  and  fascinating 
Bentley,  but  a  new  force  had  been  added;  the  dross 
had  been  burned  away  in  the  fires  of  adversity,  and 
Mind  now  dominated,  adding  strength  and  a  certain 
beauty  to  his  features.  It  was  the  Bentley  of  old,  but 
reborn  into  a  spiritual  life,  the  mortal  yielding  to  the 
immortal. 

"Camille,  dear,  from  the  gates  of  death  I  am  per- 
mitted to  come  back  to  you;  but  I  have  come  back  a 
better  and  truer  man  than  the  one  you  knew.  Your 
heart  realizes  this,  and  opens  to  me.  Our  lives  can  now 
blend  and  blossom  with  Heaven's  approval." 

"Tom,  the  anguish  has  been  terrible.    I  mourned  you 


118 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


as  dead!  Who  could  have  dreamed  of  this  blessed  re- 
sult," and  she  buried  her  face  on  his  breast  and  wept 
softly  in  that  haven  of  her  choice.  Bentley  gazed  ten- 
derly down  at  the  golden  head  and  reverently  pressed 
his  lips  to  the  white  forehead  as  he  answered :  '  *  My  be- 
loved, the  purifying  process  of  danger  and  tribulation, 
together  with  the  teachings  of  Esther  and  the  reading 
of  Science  and  Health  through  our  strange  experiences, 
has  made  a  new  man  of  me,  dear,  and  the  old  errors  that 
held  me  have  vanished  into  their  native  nothingness. 
The  'old  man'  has  been  cast  off;  the  'new  man*  brings 
his  love,  the  nobler  purposes  of  his  life,  to  your  heart, 
and  I  feel  that  you  do  not  fear  to  join  your  life  with 
mine  now." 

* '  God  has  re-united  us,  Tom !  Oh,  how  blessed !  And 
to  think  that  you  had  Esther !  What  a  manifestation  of 
Love!" 

''Yes,  sweetheart,  she  has  been  my  guardian  angel. 
At  first  she  was  so  like  you  in  look  and  manner  that  it 
caused  many  a  pang;  then  she  gradually  won  me  by 
her  devotion  to  Truth  and  thus  unfolded  the  Science  of 
Life  to  my  darkened  understanding." 

This  blissful  communion  was  interrupted  by  a  hand 
on  Camille's  shoulder  and  the  gay  voice  of  the  vivacious 
little  Mrs.  Allen  saying:  "Mrs.  Doure,  these  happy  lov- 
ers are  in  their  own  paradise,  oblivious  to  the  rest  of 
us  excited  ones.  We  all  want  to  talk  and  question  and 
welcome.  Make  them  remember  us." 

' '  Oh,  dear ! ' '  said  Mrs.  Campbell,  as  she  and  her  hus- 
band stepped  closer  to  the  happy  group,  "I  am  bewil- 
dered with  joy." 

119 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


Captain  Sley's  voice  broke  in  with:  "Let  me  have 
a  part  in  the  welcome !  This  is  the  most  remarkable  res- 
cue I  have  known  of  during  my  experience  at  sea,  al- 
though it  is  simple  enough  when  you  come  to  study  it 
out.  But  let  me  shake  the  hand  of  this  gentleman, 
and  also  of  this  brave  little  girl,  who  goes  through  the 
peril  of  shipwreck,  typhoon  and  cannibal  island  with- 
out a  trace  of  fright  or  illness,"  and  the  rugged  sea- 
faring man  gazed  with  wonder  at  the  little  golden- 
haired  child  who  smiled  happily  at  him  from  her  moth- 
er's arms. 

"Divine  Love  was  taking  care  of  us  all  the  time," 
she  told  the  captain  in  her  pretty,  ladylike  way,  "and 
I  denied  error  and  knew  that  Truth  would  bring  me 
back  to  papa  and  mama,  and  Aunt  Camille ;  and  then  I 
had  to  help  Uncle  Tom  to  learn." 

"Yes,"  said  Bentley,  "Esther  was  not  only  my  com- 
rade, but  my  teacher  and  guide." 

Captain  Sley  regarded  her  gravely. 

' '  What  sublime  faith !  I  did  not  know  children  could 
grasp  it.  But  that  same  power  in  which  you  have  been 
taught  to  trust  must  have  managed  for  us  on  this  yacht 
as  well  as  for  you,  for  we,  too,  had  a  narrow  escape  from 
death  during  the  typhoon.  And  it  was  that  same  ty- 
phoon that  brought  us  all  together,"  he  continued,  "Of 
course  you  know  a  typhoon  is  a  circular  storm.  I  heard 
Mr.  Bentley  say  the  native  canoe  had  been  blown  far  off 
shore,  while  his  raft  had  been  swept  to  the  south.  This 
is  explained  by  the  fact  that  the  canoe  caught  one  side 
of  the  typhoon,  while  the  other  side  caught  the  raft, 


120 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


sweeping  the  canoe  off  shore  and  swinging  the  raft 
toward  the  island,  and  bringing  them  together  at  the 
point  where  the  circling  currents  converged.  We  re- 
mained practically  stationary  because  we  passed 
through  the  center  of  the  storm. 

"Mrs.  Doure,"  continued  the  old  captain,  "I  am 
ready  to  acknowledge  after  this  astounding  revelation 
that  Christian  Science  is  the  religion  I  want ;  and  after 
we  return  to  Hong  Kong,  if  you  will  lend  me  a  book  I 
would  like  to  study  it  under  your  instruction.  I  want 
to  reach  out  into  Principle." 

"And  I,  and  I,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Allen  and  Mrs.  Camp- 
bell, who  had  been  listening  intently  to  Captain  Sley's 
words;  while  their  husbands  gravely  bowed. 

The  close  approach  of  an  enormous  canoe  diverted 
the  attention  of  all  on  board. 

"That  is  our  good  friend,  the  chief  of  this  island/' 
said  Bentley,  l '  and  he  has  come  with  his  canoe  to  bring 
you  all  ashore.  Later  on  I  will  tell  you  what  Esther 
did  for  him  as  well  as  me." 

"If  you  can  vouch  for  our  safety  on  a  cannibal  island, 
we  would  like  to  get  ashore  for  a  while  at  least,"  said 
Doure,  "as  the  appearance  of  this  island  is  most  en- 
chanting. ' ' 

"Don't  be  afraid,  father  dear,"  said  Esther,  "the 
chief  will  do  anything  he  can  for  us.  He  has  a  kind 
heart,"  and  she  waved  and  smiled  at  the  old  savage 
who  was  looking  up  at  the  wonderful  sight  of  the 
throng  of  white  people  on  the  shapely  vessel,  and  he 
gravely  returned  her  salute. 


121 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


"Oh,  do  let  us  go,"  said  Mrs.  Doure.  "Esther  and 
Tom  stayed  with  the  natives  and  they  were  not  harmed. 
By  all  means  let  us  go." 

Bentley  looked  at  them  all  with  a  happy  smile,  and 
said :  ' '  Since  we  are  now  saved  from  this  lonely  island, 
I  can  better  appreciate  its  scenic  loveliness,  but  it  re- 
quired all  of  Esther's  trust  in  the  power  of  Mind  to 
sweep  away  the  troubled  dreams." 

"Yes,  Uncle  Tom,"  said  Esther  brightly,  "but  you 
were  comforted  and  hopeful  when  I  read  out  loud  to 
you  these  sentences  from  Science  and  Health :  '  The  un- 
derstanding, even  in  a  degree,  of  divine  All-power,  de- 
stroys fears  and  plants  the  feet  in  the  true  path'  and 
'Love  inspires,  illumines  and  designates  the  way.'  We 
had  to  wait  for  this  demonstration.  Let  us  go  now  and 
we  will  show  you  where  Uncle  Tom  and  I  have  lived 
m  the  island." 

The  ladies  were  carefully  assisted  into  the  canoes, 
the  men  following;  Tom  and  Camille,  impervious  to 
teazing,  side  by  side.  The  dusky  savages  quickly  pad- 
dled from  the  yacht  to  the  land,  where  all  the  village 
was  assembled  to  look  upon  more  wonders  taking  place 
on  their  lonely  shore  and  all  followed  as  Esther  led  the 
way  to  their  decorated  hut. 

The  big  chief  stalked  solemnly  along  by  Captain  Sley, 
much  to  that  gentleman's  amusement;  and  his  jolly  red 
face  was  wrinkled  with  delight. 

"You  see,  friends,  the  chief  is  a  gentleman  of  dis- 
cernment. He  has  apparently  reasoned  out  that  he  and 
I  are  the  commanders  of  the  party.  I  presume  it  is  be- 


122 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


cause  I  am  nearer  his  size  than  any  of  the  rest  of  you." 

"I  am  glad  he  did  not  select  me,"  giggled  Mrs.  Allen, 
"for  he  probably  would  not  recognize  a  snub." 

"How  can  you  laugh?"  and  turning  around  they  saw 
Mrs.  Campbell  with  a  rather  woebegone  face.  "I  ex- 
pect to  be  stewed  and  chewed  every  minute.  Just  look 
at  all  this  dark  crowd  following  us." 

Camille,  who  was  walking  with  Bentley,  immediately 
behind  her,  spoke  gently  and  soothingly. 

"Why,  dearie,  do  not  allow  nervousness  to  cloud  this 
wonderful  occasion.  There  is  nothing  to  be  afraid  of; 
these  lonely  people  are  filled  with  joy  at  this  change  in 
the  monotony  of  their  desolate  lives." 

Mrs.  Campbell  made  a  wry  face. 

"Since  Mr.  Bentley  and  Esther  have  lived  to  tell  the 
story  of  their  escape,"  she  said,  "I  should  think  they 
would  prefer  to  remain  upon  the  yacht  where  one  has 
at  least  a  chance  to  die  a  respectable  death.  I  recall 
dreadful  details  of  how  missionaries  were  killed  and 
eaten ;  it  was  probably  on  this  very  spot  by  these  very 
people!" 

Tom  laughed  loud  and  cheerily,  and  then  said: 
"Those  gruesome  tales  belong  to  all  the  other  horrors 
of  long  ago.  These  people  are  simple  and  kindly,  and 
since  you  have  a  share  in  our  rescue  we  want  to  show 
you  how  we  passed  our  time  here." 

"I  wonder  you're  not  white-headed,"  said  Mr.  Camp- 
bell. * '  I  should  have  waded  out  into  the  sea  and  ended 
my  misery.  Like  my  wife,  I  have  no  fancy  for  these 
murderous  savages." 


123 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


Camille  raised  her  eyes  to  look  fondly  into  Tom's 
bronzed  face  as  she  softly  said:  "Mr.  and  Mrs.  Camp- 
bell do  not  realize  that  *  Perfect  Love  casteth  out 
fear.'  " 

Tom  reached  for  her  hand  and  drew  it  through  his 
arm  as  he  replied  in  low,  tender  tones : t  i  No,  my  darling, 
they  are  dwelling  in  the  dark,  material  dream.  To  get 
my  freedom  from  that  bondage  of  the  physical  senses 
I  passed  through  great  mental  tribulation ;  now  I  have 
named  this  small  remote  land,  encircled  by  the  blue  car- 
essing tropical  sea,  'Transformation  Island,'  for  here  I 
awakened  to  the  transforming  touch  of  Truth." 

"I  am  so  thankful,  Tom,  that  I  can  see  it  with  you. 
Now  that  salvation,  mentally  and  physically,  has  come 
to  you,  we  can  hold  these  fair  scenes  in  sacred  mem- 
ory." 

"Uncle  Tom !  Aunt  Camille !  Please  hurry  and  come 
into  our  house.  You  see  how  kind  the  chief  was  to  give 
us  so  many  things."  The  sweet  face,  so  pure  and  inno- 
cent, and  beaming  with  affection  and  gratitude,  seemed 
like  that  of  an  angel,  as  it  was  framed  by  the  dark 
bark  of  the  hut  and  manifesting  no  shadow  of  the  evil 
which  might  have  been. 

Herbert  Doure,  wrought  to  the  highest  pitch  by  the 
picture  of  her  superhuman  deliverance,  gathered  her  in- 
to his  arms,  murmuring  in  a  broken  voice:  "Oh,  my 
child !  my  precious  one !  To  think  what  a  fearful  fate 
might  have  been  yours !  You  might  have  grown  into  old 
age,  her  among  this  savage  tribe  and  we  never  have 
known!" 


124 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


Esther  kissed  and  fondled  him  as  she  said:  li Daddy, 
dear,  I  knew  that  Divine  Love  would  open  the  way. 
Uncle  Tom  was  afraid  at  first,  but  now  he  has  found 
that  God  is  Omnipotent." 

''Mrs.  Doure's  face  was  pale,  but  lovely,  as  she  said 
in  fervent  tones:  "Esther  had  understanding  to  utilize 
the  might  of  Mind  and  demonstrate  its  power." 

Bentley  laid  his  hand  on  Doure's  shoulder  as  he  said 
in  tones  deep  with  feeling:  "Mr.  and  Mrs.  Doure  and 
friends,  let  me  briefly  tell  you  how  this  little  girl's  un- 
derstanding of  Christian  Science  accomplished  my  sal- 
vation, and  also  that  of  the  chief  here.  It  is  a  powerful 
testimony  as  to  the  ever-presence  of  Truth.  The  natives 
had  rescued  us  after  they  had  been  blown  far  to  sea  by 
the  typhoon;  we  were  then  brought  here  and  given 
this  hut.  I  was  in  the  grasp  of  black  forebodings,  but 
Esther  was  calm  and  happy,  declaring  that '  evil  had  no 
place  nor  power,'  that  'Love  was  enthroned.'  While 
she  read  in  Science  and  Health,  peaceful  and  content, 
I  was  secretly  examining  my  revolver,  feeling  that  it 
might  be  a  swift  means  for  our  deliverance.  We  knew 
by  the  shrieks  and  wails  and  wierd  sounds  that  floated 
through  the  still  air  that  some  great  tragedy  or  calam- 
ity must  be  taking  place  in  their  village.  My  secret 
fears  suggested  a  cannibal  feast.  Two  warriors  then 
approached  and  beckoned  us  to  follow.  It  certainly 
looked  grim." 

"A  good  chance  for  your  revolver,"  interrupted  Mr. 
Campbell. 

' '  No,  friend.    Esther  had  spiritual  intuition  that  there 


125 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


was  trouble  to  be  overcome  and  she  insisted  on  going 
to  relieve  suffering.  It  was  a  scene  to  daunt  the  stoutest 
heart.  Their  village  is  just  a  short  distance  from  here. 
The  chief,  here,  was  lying  in  his  own  house,  in  the  last 
agony  of  some  terrible  fever,  and  pandemonium  seemed 
to  reign.  The  ceremonies  for  a  dying  king  and  warrior 
were  being  enacted.  Dante  could  not  have  imagined  a 
more  furious  and  deafening  racket.  But  at  the  ap- 
proach of  the  'white  spirits,'  as  they  have  since  design- 
ated us,  quiet  ensued.  Then,  friends,  that  rude  hut, 
with  the  dying  King  and  the  savage  occupants,  was 
transformed  into  the  temple  of  the  Living  God ;  peace, 
strength  sweetness  permeated  every  troubled  heart ;  the 
Principle  of  Life,  Love  and  Truth  cast  out  false  beliefs ; 
each  soul,  in  some  vague  way,  realized  that  Divine  Law, 
not  material  law,  was  the  controlling  power ;  one  by  one 
the  people  went  out  quietly  to  their  own  huts,  calmed 
and  comforted;  the  fever  vanished  before  the  search- 
light of  Infinite  Love,  and  I  knew  that  I  was  healed 
from  material  delusion  as  well  as  the  king  from  seem- 
ing disease.  Then,  with  this  demonstration  made,  life 
was  revealed  as  all-harmonious,  as  is  ever  the  case  when 
human  minds  yields  to  Divine  Mind;  and  then  you  all 
came  to  take  us  home." 

Silently  they  turned  from  that  little  place  of  God's 
annointing  and  retraced  their  way  to  the  beach.  As 
they  entered  the  canoes,  Captain  Sley  with  a  gentle 
gesture  motioned  the  chief  to  accompany  them. 

Once  more  on  the  yacht  the  captain  gave  orders  to 
bring  boxes  of  canned  meats  and  jars  of  preserves  to  be 


126 


THE    TRANSFORMATION. 


placed  in  his  canoe.  Esther  asked  for  some  steamer 
.chairs,  rugs  and  cushions,  to  also  be  given;  while  Mr. 
Campbell  and  Mr.  Allen  robbed  themselves  of  pipes  and 
tobacco  to  lavish  upon  him. 

The  old  warrior  was  paddled  back  to  his  own  shore, 
and  the  chief  engineer  hurriedly  approached  Captain 
Sley. 

"Sir,"  he  said,  "I  found  out  what  stopped  the  en- 
gines. The  repairs  were  made  while  you  were  ashore, 
and  we  are  now  ready  for  sea." 

1 '  Good  work,  chief !  It  will  be  high  tide  before  long, 
and  in  that  case  we  can  sail,"  answered  Captain  Sley, 
starting  for  the  chart  room.  As  he  passed  the  window 
of  Mrs.  Doure's  room,  where  she  was  happily  putting 
tired  little  Esther  to  bed,  in  the  luxury  of  soft  white 
sheets,  he  heard  her  sweet  voice  saying:  "My  beloved 
child,  we  have  had  the  proof  of  Divine  Love,  and  as  our 
leader  says,  '  there  is  but  one  real  attraction,  that  of 
spirit ;  the  pointing  of  the  needle  to  the  pole  symbolizes 
this  all-embracing  power,  or  the  attraction  of  God,  Di- 
vine Mind/  " 


127 


Dreams  Come  True. 


CHAPTEE  XH. 

LOWLY  the  tropical  moon  rose  in  a  golden 
glory;  the  peaceful  sea  sparkled  in  its  shining 
light ;  the  engines  throbbed  with  rhythmic  force 
as  they  carried  the  white  yacht,  with  its  glad  and  grate- 
ful hearts,  far  out  on  its  homeward  way. 

Each  of  the  happy  married  couples  walked  together 
in  the  radiant  air,  planning  already  to  resume  their 
duties  and  enjoyments  that  had  been  laid  aside  for  this 
seemingly  impossible  mission  on  which  the  yacht  was 
bent,  and  each  soul  felt  that  it  had  touched  the  hem  of 
His  garment  and  been  reborn  by  this  supreme  demon- 
stration. 

Tom  and  Camille  revelled  in  the  joy  of  their  own  true 
love  and  thrilled  with  the  ardent,  rosy  dreams  of  the 
future. 

"You  will  not  be  separated  from  your  sister  and  Es- 
ther, Camille  dear.  Mr.  Doure  assured  me  of  an  in- 
terest in  the  syndicate ;  so  we  shall  dwell  for  some  years 
in  Hong  Kong." 

"And  we  will  be  married  by  dear  old  Dr.  Welling- 
ford,"  Camille  said  with  a  charming  blush. 

And  they  left,  forever,  the  outward  vision  of  that 
lonely  land  which  Tom's  soul  treasured  in  grateful 
memory,  as  the  Island  of  the  Transformation. 


128 


THE      TRANSFORMATION. 


1'Envoi 

"  If  a  man  keep  my  sayings  he  shall  never  see  death. ' ' 

— Jesus. 

"That  statement  is  not  confined  to  spirital  life,  but 
includes  all  the  phenomena  of  existence.  Jesus  demon- 
strated this,  healing  and  dying  and  raising  the  dead." 

—Mary  Eddy  Baker. 
' '  Be  ye  transformed  by  the  renewing  of  your  mind. ' ' 

—Romans,  12 :2. 
Finis. 


129 


THE 
TRANSFORMATION 


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